Amity's Arrancar
by Chash123
Summary: What if Danny Fenton hadn't become a Halfa during the Ghost Portal accident. What if the Ghost Portal had actually pierced through the fabric of a different dimension and he had become half-Arrancar instead? Inspired by the "Arrancar in Amity" challenge. Co-authored by Chash123 and Sharkteeth.
1. Chapter One:

**A/N: Author's Note:** This story is a direct response to Sharkteeth's "Arrancar in Amity" challenge. You can find the details of the challenge on his profile.

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><p><span>Disclaimer<span>: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

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><p>Chapter One:<p>

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><p>(Amity Park—Fenton Residence—The Lab)<p>

The Lab was the former basement of the building in which the Fenton family had gotten the deed to six years ago. Since then, the previous cement floor had been replaced with bright-blue tiles. Two rows of florescent lights had also been installed in the middle of the ceiling, which bathed the lab in bright white light.

On either side of the room were two long lab benches with a few smaller tables scattered around the room. Strewn over the top of these tabletops were numerous blueprints, strangely-colored chemicals in glass containers, and various bits of machinery.

In the middle of the back wall was a large seven-by-seven foot, hexagonal opening which had outlined with heavy steel plating. This hole opened up into a small pathway that ended in a sharp point, thirty feet in. The walls of this hole were covered in a multitude of multicolored wires, cables, and circuitry, all of which was glowing dull green.

Within the lab one could currently find Jack Fenton and his wife, Madeline "Maddie" Fenton, standing before the hole with a couple of teenagers before them.

Jack Fenton was a fair-skinned man of great height and girth, with dark-blue eyes and black hair that was graying on the sides. He was wearing—like he usually did—a bright orange jumpsuit with a black collar, black boots, and black gloves.

Maddie Fenton, in stark contrast to Jack, was small and petite. She had slightly pale skin with a thick mane of bushy reddish-orange hair and light-blue eyes. She, like her husband, was also wearing a hazmat suit. However, her suit was power-blue in color and had a hood with red-tinted goggles.

At the moment, both Jack and Maddie's hearts were racing, as today would be the day that they finally accomplished their dream. They were going to create a portal to the Ghost Zone so that they would be able to further their studies on Ghosts and prove, once and for all, that the Fenton name was nothing to scoff at.

Jack turned towards the teenagers standing in front of him. Originally, he and Maddie had just intended for their son, Danny, to be here. However, when Danny had asked if his friends could come along as well, Jack thought nothing of it.

The more the merrier!

"Alright, kids!" Jack suddenly said, drawing the three teens' attention to himself. He grinned at their attention to him. "You three are about to witness the greatest achievement in human history!"

Jack then quickly knelt down and picked up one of the long, gray cables that trailed back into the unactivated portal behind him. His wife then picked up her own cable, this one leading to a nearby power outlet, before the two adults looked at one another.

"On the count of three we will unite the cables." Maddie said with a bright smile of anticipation on her face. "One… Two… Three!"

As soon as Maddie had said "Three", both she and Maddie joined their cables. This completed the circuit and sent a massive wave of power to the hole in the wall, the hopeful Ghost Portal. The walls then crackled to life as the electricity surged through them, their dull green color brightening until it resembled the sun in its intensity.

Quickly putting on the specially-prepared sunglasses, everyone got to witness as the space within the Ghost Portal began to distort. Brilliant green shapes seemed to form before swimming around the portal, beginning to take shape as a massive whirlpool.

However, it was only a couple moments later when the Ghost Portal exploded in a wave of green-colored light that spread throughout the entire lab. Even with their sunglasses on, everyone was rendered temporarily blind from the sudden light.

Upon regaining their sight, Jack and Maddie looked dejectedly at the Ghost Portal. It appeared that their attempts were once again a failure. Even though it was still "on", the Ghost Portal wasn't working, not a single bit of light and sound came from the machine. It was dead.

"B-But…" Jack began with his eyes wide in disbelief. "It… it worked perfectly… in all of the simulations… Why d-didn't it work?" Sniffling, he fell to his knees, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. "I-It should have… it s-should have worked!"

Maddie quickly walked the distance separating her from her husband before she placed a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder. She then drew him into a hug, rubbing his back consolingly. She knew how bad he must be hurting right now.

"It's alright, dear. I bet the Ghost Portal just needs a little… tweak… here and there and then it'll be as right as rain." Maddie said as she slowly helped her husband to his feet. "Now, come on, dear. Let's take a break and get something to eat. I think we still have some fudge in the fridge…"

It spoke to how upset Jack was at the moment that he didn't even perk up at the mention of his favorite snack; fudge. He simply allowed himself to be led to the stairs, with Maddie still whispering comforting words into his ears.

Once the two adults had left, the three teenagers were left in an awkward silence. This silence was soon ended, however, when Danny's best—male—friend, Tucker Foley, spoke up.

"Well… this was one great way to spend an afternoon." Tucker said sarcastically, before he muttered. "Not like I had anything better to do…"

"You didn't." Danny responded with a brief glare, having heard what Tucker muttered.

Danny's other best friend—Sam Manson—didn't speak up, too entranced by the Fenton's failed Ghost Portal. She took in a breath through her mouth, the stench of burnt ozone being too much for her nose, and chewed on her bottom lip.

Without warning, Sam suddenly walked towards the Ghost Portal and began to scrutinize it. Then, when she was done, she turned towards her two confused and curious-looking friends.

"Why don't you go inside there and check it out, Danny?" Sam asked.

Danny looked at her strangely, "Why would I want to go in there?"

"Don't you want to help your Mom and Dad?" Sam asked. Not receiving an answer, she sighed before she looked down at her combat boots. "I mean, they were so disappointed that this thing didn't work. I was thinking that you could go in there and fix it for them… it would make your dad feel better…"

After a moment, Sam saw that Danny wasn't buying it. Frowning, she thought about what she could say to convince Danny. It was a few seconds later that a metaphorical light-bulb appeared over her head.

She smirked to herself, looking at her purple-colored nails. "Oh well. I guess… maybe Jazz will be more inclined to help. She'll be able to fix it and then she'll get all the praise, instead of you. All because you didn't wa—!"

Eyes narrowed, Danny stepped forward. "I'll do it."

Then, before Sam could respond or he could change his mind, Danny walked over to the row of silver lockers lying next to the base of the staircase. He threw one locker open and began to rummage through the multiple hazmat suits, looking for one in his size.

Eventually finding one, he kicked off his shoes and then began to put it on. After a bit Danny got the suit on but realized that he couldn't zip the back of the suit up himself. Danny turned around and asked Tucker if he could zip him up.

"Sure." Tucker said before he walked over and tugged the zipper up. Once he was done, he took a step back before his face split into an enormous grin. "Looking good." Tucker said as he stifled a chuckle. "You're looking real sharp, dude."

"What's so funny, Tuck?" Danny asked, unsure why Tucker was laughing at him.

Sam answered his question by grabbing onto the front of his hazmat suit and removed an enormous sticker that he hadn't noticed before. Danny could feel himself blush in embarrassment as he watched as Sam flipped the sticker over, showing it to be a picture of his dad's face.

Sam raised an eyebrow before she said, in a dry voice. "I think that this might be why Tucker may be laughing at you Danny."

Danny's hands covered his face as he bent over slightly as he groaned loudly. Why hadn't he noticed that sticker when he had pulled the suit out? That was so embarrassing!

"Dear god… I can't believe he put that on the suit!"

Meanwhile Sam had crumbled the sticker into a small ball before she threw it into a nearby trashcan. This got a loud cheer from Tucker who had both his hands up before he used them to cup his mouth, imitating an announcer as he spoke:

"Sam Manson shoots and… she scores! Ten points to Manson for that amazing throw!"

Sam gave a mock bow, "Thank you… thank you!" Smiling, she turned around towards Danny. "C'mon Danny; are you going to do it or what?"

"I'm doing it." Danny grumbled, walking over to the Ghost Portal before he stopped at the entrance. "You know…" He mused aloud. "I've always wondered what cool things were on the other side of this thing…" Sighing, he took a step forward. "Wish me luck guys."

"Luck!"

With that, Danny took a deep breath before he walked inside the failed portal's walkway. Despite the fact that the outside of the portal was bright, the inside was nearly pitch-black, the only illumination being the slightly-glowing wiring. He gulped down a lungful of fresh air as a sense of dread began to well up within his stomach.

Maybe it was fear, or he was trying to maintain his balance in the passage, but Danny did something that would send shock waves in his, and numerous others, lives. With his left hand Danny groped along the left side of the wall, using the wall's faint glow to try and find some broken cable or connection.

It was soon after he had begun groping blindly along the wall that he noticed that his hand had sunk into the wall slightly. He never had a chance to find out what he had exactly touched as his world was enveloped in a bright green flash.

Brilliant shades of green, both light and dark, swam before Danny's vision, consuming him in the entirety of the colors and for a moment he thought it was beautiful. In the next moment, he was enveloped by a pain unlike any other he ever felt. Danny began screaming as he felt like he was burning from the inside out, but there was no fire. Danny wasn't even able to fall to his knees since his muscles were locked up, paralyzed in the never ending pain that consumed him.

As Danny continued screaming a strange bone-white material mixed with flecks of red escaped from his mouth and eyes. He clawed the ground as more and more of the material escaped his mouth and eyes before it began covering him.

As Danny continued screaming a strange bone-white material flooded out from his mouth and eyes. Danny raised his hands to his face as he tried to rip the strange material away from his face but out flowed through his fingers like water.

As more and more of the strange material flowed from him Danny could feel his body burning away from the inner fire. And just as his body burned it reformed, but it was different, it was not his original body. Eventually he could feel the material begin to harden around his face, encasing him in darkness.

"DANNY!"

At the sound of his friends voice, Danny snapped into awareness, the pain was still there, consuming him but no longer was the darkness encroaching on him. So with the last his strength Danny tightened his hand into a fist and did the only thing he could think of. With a mighty upward swing, Danny's fist impacted against the hard material against his face and cracked the material. With one more swing containing the last of his strength Danny swung his fist towards his face and broke away most of the bone-like material.

Pain consumed him once more within its fiery embrace, but this time to a greater degree. He screamed as he once again began to change before finally hearing himself, the material over his face gone.

Danny screamed even louder, desperate for anyone to stop the pain. To end the hell he had unknowingly entered! Why wouldn't anyone just put him out of his misery already?

"—turn off the machine!"

"Sam… I'm trying! It… work!"

Danny collapsed onto the floor, eyes glazes over as his mind began to shut down from the sheer pain his body had endured. In this state, he couldn't understand why his friends were yelling.

Didn't they hear him screaming? Why didn't they stop what they were doing to help him? Couldn't they see how much pain he was in right now?

There was another blinding flash of light before Danny felt himself thrown out of the Ghost Portal at high speeds. He bounced on the floor of his parent's lab for a couple of seconds before he skidded to a stop.

He couldn't even cry out what he was feeling since his voice was horse from all of the screaming he had just done. A thin trickle of blood escaped his mouth, even as he heard footsteps and his vision became darker.

With the last of his energy, Danny raised his right hand to block out the bright white light of the fluorescent that was burning his eyes. When his hand reached his face he was startled at the sight of it. There was a small, round hole that he could see through in the middle of his hand.

With no more energy to deal with this new change Danny did the only thing that he could do.

He fainted.

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><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Well, that is the end of chapter one. Tell us how you guys liked it-comments, concerns, constructive criticism-in your reviews and messages. This chapter was updated as of 5/12/2012.


	2. Chapter Two:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Two:<p>

* * *

><p>Everything was bathed in darkness when Danny finally became aware of himself. At first thought, he had died and that this was a limbo of some kind, only to realize that his eyes were closed.<p>

Danny groaned as he opened his eyes slowly before he recoiled from the sudden, blinding light that invaded them. Once the pain in his eyes subsided, he slowly began to open and close his eyes so that they could get use to the rooms light. When he could open his eyes without having the light blind him, Danny tried to sit up on his own. This proved to be a very bad idea.

He almost shouted from the sheer pain of his attempted movement caused but he clamped his jaws shut, unwilling to submit to the pain once again.

"What…" Danny began to say only to cut himself off due to the sound of his own voice; why did his voice sound so hoarse? "What happened to me...?"

"Danny!"

Danny managed to turn his head to the side despite the pain so that his cheek rested on the cool tiles of the lab. He saw that both Sam and Tucker were approaching him, their eyes filled with worry mixed in with an incredible relief.

When they finally reached him they carefully grabbed his arms before slowly, as his body still felt like a buffalo had run over him, helping him into a nearby chair. There was a brief silence as neither Sam nor Tucker wanted to speak about what had happened and Danny was too busy trying to regain his lost energy. Eventually, Danny managed to work up enough energy to formulate the question that had been plaguing his mind.

"… What happened?"

Tucker looked surprised at his question, sparing a brief glance to Sam, before he turned his attention back to Danny. "Dude, you don't remember what happened?"

Danny raised one eyebrow at the tone in his friend's voice but answered nonetheless "No."

"Oh." Tucker said as he seemed to be taken aback by Danny's selective amnesia. Tucker was silent for a couple of moments before he finally thought of a response to Danny's question. "You went… into the Ghost Portal and I… I think you fixed it."

Then Tucker found something suddenly found something extremely fascinating on a nearby wall as he would not look Danny in the eyes. "You started… screaming… after you turned it on. Sam and I… we tried to turn it off but… we couldn't… the plug wouldn't come out."

"We kept trying to pull the plug or disconnect the cables…" Sam admitted with a minor shake of her head, looking close to tears. "Nothing worked… And then, when we were about to give up, you were suddenly thrown from the portal and landed over there…"

Danny nodded. He suddenly was able to recall getting into the hazmat suit, the mortification of finding his dad's sticker, telling his friends about wondering about the Ghost Portal, and going into it. He remembered a section of the portal giving away under his hand, that must've been the on button, before his world had been consumed in pure agony.

"Dude... the Ghost Portal it… it changed you." Tucker continued after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Danny looked at Tucker confusedly, "What? Changed… what do you mean by 'Changed'?"

Neither Sam nor Tucker responded Danny's question. Instead Sam removed a small mirror from a nearby counter top and gave it to Danny. She then quickly backed up from Danny all the while looking away guiltily.

With trepidation in his movements Danny raised the mirror and caught sight of his new appearance. His grip slackened as his eyes widened in shock, the mirror slipping from beneath his fingers. Time seemed to slow as the mirror fell onto the floor and shattered into hundreds of pieces

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile)

Sitting on his throne within his throne room, Sōsuke Aizen awaited the arrival of the four he had called to arrive.

Earlier, a wave of spiritual energy had suddenly watched over his fortress—Las Noches—alerting all of those within it because of the sheer strength this energy possessed. Upon closer inspection, this energy resembled that of a Hollow being transformed into an Arrancar, which was most curious.

Most of the Hollows transforming into Arrancar naturally, as opposed to him using the Hōgyoku to do it, had never displayed such power. This had confused and alerted some of the Arrancar under his command though, to him, such power only intrigued him.

"Dios Aizen."

Upon hearing this, Aizen looked down from his throne to see that his Tercera Espada—Tier Harribel— and her three Fracción had arrived. The woman and her three servants now bowed at him.

"I have summoned you and your Fracción here because of that spiritual energy that I'm sure you all sensed minutes ago." Aizen informed with a faint smile, receiving a nod. "I need you to find the newborn Arrancar that released this energy… despite the fact that it is no longer in Huceo Mundo."

One of Harribel's Fracción looked up in surprise, looked about to speak, but a warning glance from her master stopped her short.

Aizen nodded towards Harribel, "Thank you, Harribel." He smirked when he saw the Fracción flush before looking down in shame. "As I was saying, I need you to find this Arrancar." He leaned forward before bringing his fist to rest underneath his chin. "You four will do everything within your power to recruit this Arrancar to our cause and bring it home."

"It will be as you command Dios Aizen." Harribel responded with a bow. "We will leave as soon we get the proper equipment from Szayel's Science Division."

"Of course. You are dismissed." Aizen said with a wave of his hand.

With that obvious dismissal, Harribel nodded once before she and her Fracción vanished with brief static-like sounds.

Looking at the spot in which the four women had once stood, Aizen leaned back into his chair. After a bit of silence Aizen moved his hand off the arm rest of his throne and tapped an unseen button on it. With a brief burst of right, a hidden compartment opened up, revealing a blue orb in a hexagonal case.

Aizen gently picked up the object and brought the object up to his eye level so he could stare into its other-worldly depths. As he stared into the orb, Aizen silently contemplated when the day would come when those four women's—and all of the numerous others beneath him—usefulness would come to an end.

XXXXXX

(A few minutes later—With Danny, Sam, and Tucker)

After his initial reaction towards his new appearance, it had taken at least ten minutes for Danny to calm himself down. Calmed, he then requested another mirror, whereupon Tucker got him another one, a little bit wary.

Danny looked at himself in the mirror with a sense of both amazement and entire body had changed from what he had once known to something completely different. He was now a slender, yet fairly muscular, male of average height with pale skin, short and messy silver hair, and bright-green eyes. He was wearing a white jacket, a pair of weird white pants that were tied with a black sash, and white-colored straw sandals.

He also had a white choker around his neck that was made out of some bone-like material. Danny glanced down at his hand was shocked to find a strange hole in the middle of his right hand. Oddly enough the hole was perfevtly smooth and didn't hurt at all. To complete his new look Danny was shocked to find that he had a katana tied to his sash. Danny gave Tucker back the mirror before he really examined his new weapon.

It was a beautiful sword with a rectangular, light-green tsuba that had a small snowflake-like tassel tied to it. The tsuba itself had a large, silver-colored snowflake that branched out from the center of it and glinted in the light as Danny turned it around.

After putting his katana back into his sash, Danny felt himself slump into his chair, his shoulders and arms going limp. He wondered how he would explain this to his parents, and how they would react to it. In the back of his mind Danny also wondered how the ghost portal could've changed him so much.

"…. It's not that bad Danny…"

Danny looked up to see that Sam was walking towards him with an unreadable expression on her face. When she reached him, she reached down and gave him a much-needed hug. He embraced her back once the shock had died out, relishing in the warmth as he tried to calm himself down.

If Danny had been paying attention, he would have noticed the light-green light forming at his fingertips. The light then spread from his fingers in a 360 wave, washing over everything within a 50 meter range. The light "wave" then returned to Danny, causing him to open his eyes with an audible "snap".

When his eyes had been closed, he had been able to "see" something truly unexpected. He had seen the world in black-and-white, with the inside of his friends' bodies seeming to be made out of vivid blue-green flames. His parents on the other hand, sitting in the kitchen above the basement, appeared to be made out of dull blue-colored flames.

Danny immediately pushed Sam away from his body in a panic, as he could not explain what he had just seen. It didn't make any sense and terrified him to no end.

"Danny, are you alright?" Sam asked, concern in her voice. "What's wrong?"

Sam was hurt that her friend had just pushed her away after she had attempted to comfort him. If he hadn't wanted her to do that, why didn't he just say so? Why did he allow her to hug him, only then to push her away seconds later? Upon realizing just what he had done, Danny felt horrible. He had pushed Sam away from him and hurt her in the process. She didn't know what he had seen, and must've been confused and hurt as to why he had pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, Sam… It's just that… I-I saw something… I don't know how…my eyes were closed…" Danny rambled as he shook his head around, confused and frightened. "Wha… What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you dude." Tucker assured consolingly, getting closer to Danny. "Just calm down… and tell us what's wrong."

Danny nodded shakily, "I saw… e-everything was in… black-and-white. Except for you guys… you were made out of flames… teal flames."

Unnoticed by Danny, both Sam and Tucker shared a glance with each other. In that glance they seemed to have a silent conversation with each other. Sam then nodded slightly, urging Tucker to start talking.

"Did you see anything else, Danny?" Tucker asked. "Yeah… I saw my parents in the kitchen… they were made out of flames to… but, they were light blue instead of teal." Danny answered as he started to calm down, before looking at his friends imploringly. "How could I have seen that?"

Sam bit her lip, "Maybe… maybe you saw what Ghosts can see."

"Sam!" Tucker said in exasperation.

"I'm sorry Tucker, but it fits!" Sam retorted "Danny seems to have gained the body of a Ghost, so why wouldn't he be able to see like one as well?"

"Danny didn't need—" Tucker began angrily.

Before Tucker could finish his sentence, he stopped when he heard a loud "crack". Sam and Tucker then heard Danny groan and turned to face him, their previous argument forgotten for now. Danny's skin was cracking, slowly making his skin resemble an elaborate spider's web.

"Danny!"

It was then that Danny's skin started to peel off, becoming silver-colored ash, before it dissipated into the air. This was happening so fast the silver ash soon became a cyclone, with Sam and Tucker on the other side of it.

Both of the two teenagers were praying to every God that they knew of that their friend would be okay. They didn't know why Danny's skin had cracked, or why it had turned into silver ash but they began to pray harder. They didn't want their friend to die so soon after escaping death just minutes ago.

After a minute or two, the cyclone of ash started to slow down before it dissipated altogether. Sam and Tucker were relieved to see that Danny was still alive, and looking like he had before he had gone into the portal.

"Guys… I think we have a problem."

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><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Well, that's it. Tell me how you guys liked it or how I could improve it. As always, flames will be ignored.

This chapter was updated as of 5/22/2012.


	3. Chapter Three:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Three:<p>

* * *

><p>It had been a month since Danny had gone into the Ghost Portal, and became something completely different. The "Accident", as it had come to be called, had forced Danny to make a few changes in his life.<p>

Ever since the accident, some unforeseen complications had begun to occur during the most inopportune of times. Some of these complications included his eyes changing color when he blinked, his choker appearing when he rubbed his throat, and the hole appearing on his hand if something hit it hard enough.

Another complication was the strange new "Ghost" energy that he had acquired. He had first used this energy while he was in an argument with Tucker and Sam, sending both of them flying back into a wall. Sam and Tucker had gotten a couple of scrapes and bruises after the pressure had almost knocked them out, causing Danny to realize that he needed to learn how to control his "Ghost" energy.

In order to control it, Sam had suggested that he join a martial arts class. She had further explained that joining one could allow him to learn different discipline methods that could help him control his newfound powers. While he was skeptical about her idea Danny had eventually agreed to Sam's idea and signed up at a local karate dojo.

Of course, these recent changes to his life hadn't gone unnoticed by his family.

XXXXXX

(Two weeks ago)

Like so many nights before, Danny was dragging him newly bruised and battered body home from another intense Karate lesson. When Sam had first mention he take Karate, he had been against the idea. However, after accidentally hurting Sam and Tucker, Danny had reconsidered. He decided to take the class because he absolutely needed to find a way to control his new found power.

If he didn't get a hold of his own power then he could seriously hurt somebody.

After a few minutes of silent contemplation as he walked Danny finally made it to his family's house. He silently climbed up the stairs and pulled out his key chain from his back pocket. Unlocking the door with his key, he opened the door silently before tiptoeing towards the staircase. If he was quiet enough, he probably wouldn't alert his family to his late arrival and explain his actions.

Unfortunately his plans to quietly escape up the staircase didn't work. "Danny, can you please meet us in the living room?" His mom called from the living room. "We need to speak with you…"

Danny froze for a moment before he nodded as small beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. As he began to trek to the living room, numerous questions began to form in his head. Did his parents know about the Accident? Had they somehow found out that it wasn't just a temporary glitch in their systems? What would they, being professional Ghost Hunters, even do if they knew about the Accident?

Eventually, Danny entered the living room and took note of the inhabitants of the room. He saw that his parents were sitting side-by-side on their couch. Also, Jazz was sitting on the couch as well, half a cushion away from their parents.

The next thing he noticed was that his parents were being unnaturally quiet. His dad wasn't his usual loud and outgoing self; instead, he wore a serious expression. The hood to his mother's hazmat suit was pulled down, exposing concerned eyes to him.

"Pleas, take a seat Danny…" His mom said quietly. "There are a few things that we would all like to talk to you about."

While he didn't like where his mom seemed to be going, Danny had no choice but to obey his mom's unspoken order. He sat down on the armchair directly across from the couch, where three pairs of eyes seemed to pin him down. His dad took a deep breath, as if to steady himself, before he spoke in a low tone, "Danny… We have all noticed some recent… changes that have left us all concerned with how you have been doing lately."

"You have been coming home later and more exhausted then you usually are after a day at school. We are starting to worry about what you are doing after school." His mom said and then paused, worrying her lip, before she forced herself to continue. "You have also come home with a lot of bruises, scrapes, and a few black eyes…"

Seeing that their mom was done, Jazz spoke up. "Mom and Dad have also found out that you have taken some money from your savings account at the bank. Danny…." She looked concerned. "Is, is somebody extorting you?"

Almost at once, Danny felt all of his muscles relax. So, this wasn't about the "Accident" at all. They hadn't found out about it and still didn't know what had happened that day. They were just worried about why he had been out later than he was and came home battered and bruised.

"It's not what you've guys have been thinking. No one is extorting any money from me and nobody is hurting me." Danny stated.

Jazz frowned, "Then why have you been coming home so late with all of those bruises on your body?"

"Oh… I'm just taking a Karate class downtown." Danny said.

"So that was the transaction from your savings account was!" His dad exclaimed, relieved, as an invisible weight seemed to have been lifted off of his shoulders. "You were just paying for you class!"

"Wait a minute… what is with this sudden interest in Karate, Danny? You have never shown an interest in it or any other type of martial art before…" His mom questioned, looking a bit skeptical at his excuse.

"Well…I just wanted to be prepared in case something happens like… uh…" Danny paused, trying to think of what he could say that could appease his parents. "… a Ghost attack!" He nodded to himself. "Yeah, just want to be prepared just in case a Ghost shows up. It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

This answer seemed to finally appease his parents, who reverted back into their original selves so fast it seemed like a switch had been flipped. His dad got up from the table, walking over to Danny, before he was picked up and given a bear-hug. It became very hard to breathe very fast.

"Good idea Dan-O! You'll be prepared in case those Ghosts show up!" His dad grinned as he released Danny before he passed out. "Give them the old one-two and show them why nobody messes with a Fenton!"

His mom smiled, "Good thinking, honey."

Nodding, Danny leaned over as he took in deep gulps of fresh air. However, when he went down, he caught a brief, suspicious look from Jazz. He didn't have time to wonder why it was there as Jazz changed her expression so fast that that it seemed like he had imagined it.

XXXXXX

Thankfully, it seemed like Jazz had let her suspicions go, as he didn't catch any more of those looks or see Jazz do anything unusual for her. So, with the extortion issue solved, the Fenton family slowly regained their sense of normalcy.

However, while Danny was taking Karate classes, that wasn't the only thing that he was preoccupied with. In his spare time, he would implement what he learned in Karate in attempt to gain control of and understanding of his "Ghost" powers.

XXXXXX

(One week ago—Amity Park—Junkyard)

When it was suggested by Tucker that they use the junkyard as the place to have Danny train with his new "Ghost" powers, it had seemed to be the perfect place to train.

The junkyard was out by the edge of the town so hardly anyone visited it, even less so because it was a junkyard, and it belonged to Tucker's uncle, Fred Foley. That meant that, technically, they weren't trespassing at all. At the moment, the only people in the junkyard were Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Sam was sitting on the hood of an old, broken-down car while Tucker was leaning on an old hotdog-cart, fiddling with his P.D.A. Danny was standing in the center of the small clearing they were in, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"Okay Danny… let's start out with something simple." Sam suggested, looking down at her friend. "Why don't you try transforming into your Ghost form?"

Danny nodded in agreement, "Alright."

With that, Danny proceeded to take a deep breath before he concentrated on trying to change himself into his Ghost form. A few minutes passed and nothing seemed to be happening to him. However, just when he was about to give up, he felt himself release a small amount of energy. In an instant, cracks began to form along Danny's body, slowly creating a vaguely spider web-like pattern. His cracked skin then started to chip off like it was sun burned, turning into silver-colored ash the moment it detached from his body.

Soon, there was a good-sized cloud of ash hanging around Danny's body. Then, as if on command, all of this ash converged on Danny before it formed a miniature cyclone around him. After a couple seconds, the cyclone slowly dissipated, revealing Danny standing amongst the dissipating ash while in his Ghost form.

Seeing this, Sam grinned before she gave Danny a thumbs up while Tucker simply shuddered.

"Man… no many how much times I see that, it still keeps freaking me out." Tucker complained as he looked down at his P.D.A. "Let's just try to put those Karate lessons you've been taking to good use… Try and see if you can feel anything this time."

Danny nodded, "Alright Tuck, just give me a second…"

During his Karate classes, Danny's teacher, or Sensei, had emphasized the importance of concentration. To do this, Sensei had said that all of his students practice medication. Having seen the use of this method, Danny had been encouraged by Sam and Tucker to practice all of the different forms of meditation that Sensei had taught him. It was during one of these practice sessions that his work paid off.

After clearing his mind, Danny had become more aware of his body's functions. Digging deeper and deeper, he could feel the flow of his own blood, the feel his skin as it became more sensitive and sense the state that his organs were in. Danny however had dug even deeper one day and hit the metaphorical jackpot; he had located the source of his Ghost energy. It seemed to be suspended in the middle of his chest near his heart.

To him, his Ghost energy felt very powerful, dangerous, and animalistic. It seemed to be like a predator crouching in the grass, just waiting for its unfortunate prey to appear before it pounced.

The feeling of the top predator that his energy produced frightened him a little bit.

Another weird thing about his Ghost energy was that, whenever he would use it, consciously or not, a slight pressure would become noticeable to those around him. The more energy he used, the more powerful the range and the force of the pressure would increase.

"Come on, Danny! I know you can do it." Sam whispered, snapping Danny out of his thoughts. Danny turned and saw that her eyes were locked on him. "It should be easier… now that you've practiced for so long."

Danny took another breath before he began to gather his Ghost energy from within himself. He slowly guided it towards his middle finger and thumb on his right hand. He soon sensed that he had gathered enough energy and prepared himself for what would happen next. After a few seconds of mentally preparation Danny snapped his fingers, releasing the stored-up energy in an invisible wave that began to spread outwards at an alarming speed. Following the wave of energy, a mental, black-and-white picture of whatever it passed over formed itself in Danny's mind.

However, when it passed over Sam and Tucker, he noticed that they seemed to have changed slightly. The vivid, blue-green flames that seemed to make both of his friends' bodies up had brightened. The flames also seemed to have grown larger since the last time he had seen them. What could that possibly mean?

Danny didn't get a chance to ponder what had changed in his friends as he stumbled slightly when a sudden dizziness seemed to wash over him. "Whoa… that was some rush…"

Sam and Tucker were instantly by his side, each of them helping him stand up again.

"Are you alright dude?" Tucker asked.

Sam look concerned, "If you're not feeling well then maybe we should stop for the day."

"No… I'm fine. I just have to get used to using these powers…" Danny said, giving his friends a weak smile. "I'm fine now, guys… You can let me go."

Sam and Tucker looked at each other for a moment, seeming to have another one of those wordless conversations, before they looked away and released Danny. Then, as Danny regained stability, Tucker took out his P.D.A. and checked the time.

"My uncle will be back here soon… so we don't have that much more time before we'll have to leave."

"Alright then… I just want to try one more thing before we go." Danny said. Then, seeing his friend's incredulous expressions, he continued. "It won't take that long and… I promise I won't fall down again."

"You'd better not." Tucker muttered.

Danny ignored him, instead concentrating on directing some of his Ghost energy towards his fist. After a couple of seconds, his fist started to emit an ice-blue light that slowly encased it. The very sight seemed to set both Sam and Tucker on edge.

"Danny…" Sam exhaled in a low tone with eyes wide.

Danny could feel the power that was flowing into his fist, even as he slowly raised his hand towards a group of old cars. The energy around his fist took on a vaguely spherical shape, humming slightly, before Danny released his hold on his power.

Sam and Tucker could only gape as a giant beam of ice blue-colored energy rocketed out from Danny's fist. The beam struck the pile of old cars only two seconds later obliterating them, and much of the junk behind them, before it continued into the sky. After the attack had ended there wasn't anything left to signify that the cars had even existed in the first place.

Danny could only stare at the destruction that he had caused in shock. He was still in shock when another wave of dizziness washed over him before he collapsed in a boneless heap. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

XXXXXX

After that incident, Danny had decided that it would be best to wait until he had a better grasp of his powers before he tried anything new. So, he had used this time to perfect the techniques he already had, which included his sonar and laser-like techniques.

Until he felt as if had mastered those two techniques, Danny could hope that nothing would happen. Sadly, fate had other plans for him.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Fenton residence—Danny's room)

Danny groaned as the blaring of his overly loud and obnoxious alarm clock pierced the former silence of his room. His left arm moved out of the warmth of his comforter and then slammed down onto the alarm clock, shattering it into multiple pieces. It was only after he did the deed that he became aware of just what he had just done.

_'Damn…'_ Danny thought as he morosely overlooked the remains of his clock. _'That's the fifth alarm clock I've broken this month…'_

Sighing, Danny got out of bed before he began cleaning up his clock's remains. When that was done, he moved to get ready for the day.

Ten minutes later, Danny, outfitted in a short-sleeved shirt and jeans, walked down the stairs of his home and into the kitchen. His mom, along with Jazz, was already at the table getting ready for their own plans for the day. His mom was standing at the table while she used a blowtorch to weld the back of what appeared to be a new invention into place. Jazz on the other hand was sitting down at the table, reading _Surviving Adolescence through Therapy_ with a somewhat annoyed expression on her face.

Shrugging his shoulders, Danny walked over to the pantry where he grabbed a bowl and spoon. He then went over to the cabinet by the fridge and took out a cereal box; _General Chewie's_, a prize in every box if the label was to be believed. He then sat down at the table and dumped a good portion of cereal into his bowl before he began to eat.

A few minutes later, Danny looked downwards and almost had a heart attack. The skin on his hand was beginning to crack with a few pieces already beginning to flake off of it. Jerking his hand under the table, he quickly reversed the transformation, hoping that nobody had seen what just happened. Luckily for him, it appeared that no one had; his mom was too busy with her gadget and Jazz with her book.

"Just a few more days and then it's done."

Turning his head, Danny caught his mom turning off her blowtorch before she began to inspect her gadget. Only moments later, his dad barged into the room like a kid on Christmas day. His dad then snuck up on his mom, showing a great amount of stealth that didn't seem right for a man of his size ,and loudly spoke up to his wife. The fright that he gave her almost made her jump out of her suit.

"What did you say Maddie? It's done?" His dad said before picking up the gadget. "The Fenton-Finder is done!" He grinned. "With this little baby we'll be able to track down any Ghost, no matter where they might be hiding!"

Danny actually choked at this exclamation, feeling his heart seize up in panic. "… It does what to track who now?"

His parents seemed to ignore him; turning on their newly-completed Fenton-Finder. Almost instantly, the satellite-like dish on the Fenton-Finder started to spin around before a feminine voice started to speak.

"Unknown Entity located directly ahead. Please walk forward."

The Fenton-Finder's results brought a confused look to his parents' faces. However, they both followed their gadget's directions, not noticing Danny back up until his back was against a wall.

"Unknown Entity located. Thank you for using the Fenton-Finder."

Both his mom and dad looked at each other—confused—before they looked up to see Danny pressed up against a wall with a nervous expression on his face.

"What? That can't be right…. This thing must be broken." Jack stated with disappointment in his voice as he shook the device a little.

Unseen by either of his parents, Danny's clothes changed into the clothes that he wore in his Ghost form. However, the changes reverted two seconds later, just in time, as his parents looked at him again. Danny took a deep breath; he had had enough of this nonsense. This was a better time than any to tell his parents about what happened to him. To tell them that he had become half-Ghost.

"Actually… Mom, dad… there is something that I need to tell you." Danny said.

"That's not all you need Danny." Jazz replied, interrupting him. "You need proper guidance and parents that are ready to give it."

"Now sweetie…" Maddie said, speaking in a placating tone. "I know that that what I and your father do may not make sense at times but you're only…"

"Sixteen." Jazz stated, interrupting her mom. "Biology that may be the case, but mentally I am an adult and I will not allow your insane delusion to pollute the mind of this impressionable young child."

Throughout her little speech, Jazz drew Danny to herself as if to protect him from their parents "craziness". She then began to drag him away, towards the door, while her parents watched with confused expressions on their face.

"Come on you impressionable child, I'll drive you to school." Jazz said to Danny as she dragged him out of the room.

Danny faintly heard his parents talking in the kitchen, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. His mind kept coming back to the Fenton-Finder, wondering why the machine had called him an "Unknown Entity".

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Casper High)

Casper High was a pretty standard high school, which included a standard social latter that could be found in many other schools

At the top of this social ladder were the sports jocks, like Dash Baxter, Kwan Heights, or any other person on Casper High's sports' teams. The next rung of the ladder were the rich kids, like Paulina Sanchez and Star White. After that came a rung that was made up from people of the middle-class, like Valerie Gray. However, at the lowermost rung of the ladder—past the nerdy or poor kids—were people like Danny Fenton, Tucker Foley, and Sam Manson.

At the moment, Danny, Sam, and Tucker, were walking up a staircase while Danny told his two friends about the morning he had.

"… I'm telling you guys, it's getting harder and harder to hide my powers from my parents…" Danny sighed, looking down. "Maybe I should just tell them…"

Sam shook her head, "That's not a good idea, Danny; parents don't listen to you and they never understand." Suddenly, her fists clenched and her eyes narrowed, thinking about her own parental problems. "WHY CAN'T THEY JUST ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM?"

Danny and Tucker could only stare at Sam. Seeing this, Sam blushed.

"Uh, Sam… you do remember that we're talking about my powers… my problems?" Danny asked a bit sarcastically.

Sam ducked her head to hide her growing blush, "Oh yeah… sure do…"

"Ever since the junkyard, I've been terrified of using my powers." Danny said before he frowned. "Especially that laser-like thing… it's way too dangerous to use in public." He sighed. "Lately though, I've been having trouble controlling when and where I start transforming."

"You mean like now?" Tucker asked, pointing towards Danny's shirt.

Danny looked down to where his friend was pointing, only to see numerous cracks rapidly expanding over his shirt. With a yelp, he quickly reversed the transformation before it could progress any further

"If my dad could invent something that could turn me into a half-Ghost, why can't he make something that would turn me back?" Danny complained.

As he talked, Danny never noticed that his clothes would frequently change between his normal clothing, and his Ghost form's clothing.

Sam quickly overtook Danny and offered her own opinion. "Danny, your powers make you unique, and being unique is good." Sam said, closing her eyes with a smile. "That's why I'm an ultra-recyclable vegetarian."

"Which means what now?" Tucker asked.

"It means that she won't eat anything that had a face on it at some point." Danny answered.

Tucker scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Dude, that's gross. Two words; meat connoisseur." Tucker then leaned in before he sniffed Danny a couple of times. "You had Sloppy Joes last night."

"Impressive." Danny admitted.

"Meat enhances the senses, and my all-meat streak is fourteen years long." Tucker stated proudly.

"Sorry Tuck, but that streak is about to end." Sam responded, amused. "The school board finally agreed to change the menu." She grinned. "It took me a while, but I wore them out."

Danny could see the growing dread on Tucker's question when his friend asked his next question. He would've asked the same thing, if Tucker didn't ask.

"Wait… what did you do?" Tucker asked.

XXXXXX

(Later—Casper High—Cafeteria)

The only thought that entered Danny's mind after he entered the cafeteria was 'Sam is insane'.

Whenever Sam went off on one of her vegetarian rants, Danny had thought that she meant that she was an average vegetarian. That she ate normal things like carrots, corn, broccoli, and other things like that.

However, Danny now knew that Sam wasn't just an ordinary vegetarian. He knew this because of the changes to the cafeteria's lunch menu, which made him slightly concerned. Was his friend losing it?

Bread with grass actually growing from it, mud-pies that were made with actual mud, and all kinds of other things that he had seen animals eat at the zoo. It was obvious that Tucker would not take this change to the menu lightly, being a self-proclaimed 'meat connoisseur'.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PRECIOUS MEAT!" Tucker wailed as he collapsed to his knees.

Chewing on her grass sandwich, Sam spared a glance at Tucker. She waited until he had gotten back up before she handed him another grass sandwich. She ignored how the sandwich was slapped away and the disgusted expression on his face.

"Tucker… I think it's time for a change."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Fenton residence—The lab)

At the moment, Jack Fenton and his wife could be found in their lab; currently working on converting a normal vacuum cleaner into something they believed would be able to capture a Ghost. They already had the semi-functional Fenton Thermos, but they hoped that this new invention of theirs would be more reliable.

Unbeknownst to the two Ghost Hunters, the Ghost Portal behind them activated itself. The high-grade steel doors opened—showing a swirling abyss of green light beyond—before something exited from the portal.

The being in question appeared to be a kindly old lunch lady, complete with yellow rubber gloves and a hair net that covered her white hair. The only indications that she wasn't human were her light-green skin, and the fact that she was partially see through.

This lunch lady wore a stern expression on her face, before it gradually shifted into a relaxed one. "Oh… it appears as if somebody changed the menu."

The Ghost then became completely see-through before she floated up through the ceiling, out of the Fenton's house, and off towards Casper High. Off to the place she had worked to until she had died fifty years ago.

What the Ghost didn't notice was that a pair of witnesses had seen her emergence from the Ghost Portal. Said witnesses had been drawn to it when they heard the doors to their portal slide open.

"Maddie…" Jack asked in a low, breathless tone of voice. "Is that what I think it was…?  
>Maddie smiled, "Yes, honey… that was a real Ghost."<p>

Both Ghost Hunters simply stared at each other for a moment—unable to believe what they had just seen—before they leapt into each other's arms. They hugged each other tightly, relishing in the fact that they had seen an actual Ghost.

For years, they both had been mocked for their belief about Ghosts and how much time they spent in developing 'Anti-Ghost' technology. However, now that they had seen a Ghost with their own eyes, all of years of endless ridicule seemed to be washed away.

Jack's grin threatened to split his face in half, "WE WERE RIGHT! GHOSTS DO EXIST!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note; **This chapter was updated as of 5/28/2012.


	4. Chapter Four:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Four:<p>

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—Casper High—Cafeteria)<p>

Don't you think that this is a little extreme Sam?" Danny asked as he looked at his so-called 'lunch' like one would examine a deadly poison. "I mean… Not everyone has the same tastes as you do, Sam…"

Sam looked as if she was going to respond but was unable to as, at that moment, a rather well-known, and hated, teacher arrived at their table. It was Mr. Lancer, the main enforcer of punishment at Casper High and the teacher that Danny hated most of all.

Appearance wise, Mr. Lancer was a tall man with black sideburns, a black goatee, and dark-blue eyes. He was wearing a white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a pair of dark-grey slacks, black dress shoes, and a black tie.

Mr. Lancer put a hand on Sam's shoulder before he spoke, his voice just oozing with false pride. "Ahh… Ms. Manson. The school board just wanted me to thank you for bringing this welcome experiment to our school's cafeteria."

Tucker's eyes glazed over as his body stiffened before he began sniffing the air. As he sniffed, his head followed his nose, trying to find the source of the scent he smelled.

"Meat…" Tucker murmured before his eyes opened. "It's somewhere near…"

Mr. Lancer pulled away from Sam before he backed away from their table, a somewhat hesitant expression on his face. Tucker then turned his attention to Mr. Lancer, where his stare became accusatory causing Mr. Lancer to start sweating.

"No, no... Mr. Foley, I can assure you that the rumors about there being an All-You-Can-Eat steak buffet in the teacher's lounge are completely untrue." Mr. Lancer said unconvincingly before he spared a brief glance at Sam. "Thanks again, Ms. Manson."

With that, Mr. Lancer quickly retreated away from their table, whereupon Tucker turned his attention to Sam. His stare became a glare, a glare that held all of the loathing he had for the 'food' in front of him, which caused Sam to flinch.

"Yeah, Sam… Thanks for making us eat garbage."

Sam frowned, "It's not garbage." She took another bite out of her second grass sandwich. "It's completely recyclable organic matter."

"It's garbage."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Casper High—Cafeteria—Kitchen)

As the regular lunch ladies began leaving the kitchen to attend to their own lunch—visions of the steak dancing in their eyes—the Lunch Lady became visible.

Floating around, the Lunch Lady looked over the modernized kitchen in a search for what the children were eating today. She slowly became more and more agitated when she saw nothing of the food that had been on her menu when she had been alive.

Why wasn't there any meat or any other food? She picked up a grass sandwich before she tossed it away, disgusted. What were these people feeding the children?

The Lunch Lady's eyes glowed bright green, "It appears as if somebody has changed the menu…"

XXXXXX

(Cafeteria—With Danny, Sam, and Tucker)

"FENTON!" At the sound of his name, Danny turned around to see one very angry Dash Baxter was now making his way across the cafeteria towards him.

Dash Baxter was the quarterback of Casper High's football team, which essentially meant that he could say and do most anything without any form of reprisal from the teachers. It didn't help matters that, when in the classroom, Dash was a perfect 'teacher's pet'. This allowed him the luxury of most of the teachers unable to believe any accusation against him.

It made Danny a little bit sick when he thought about it. This was because, as long as he could remember, Dash had always been bullying him and his friends. No one had ever believed them when they told their teachers until they had finally just stopped telling them. However, since Danny had begun taking Karate lessons downtown, he had been able to dodge Dash and his cronies for the most part. It actually made him glad that he was taking them, if he could use what he learned to avoid jerks like Dash.

Unfortunately for Danny however, there was no place for him to run to today.

Dash had finally reached him, slapping down a food-laden tray in front of Danny's face. "I ordered three mud-pies… and do you know what they gave me…?" He pointed towards the three objects on his tray. "THREE MUD PIES MADE FROM ACTUAL MUD! And it's all the fault of your Goth girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

Dash reached out and tried to grab a fistful of Danny's shirt with one of his meaty fists. Danny, however, managed to scoot over to dodge the fist. He was not fast enough though, to dodge the fist that sent his forehead crashing onto the table's surface.

Ouch. That really, really hurt.

"Listen up, Fenton: These are my glory days… After high school, it all goes downhill for me. Now, I ask you..." Dash's grit his teeth as his face reddened even further. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ENJOY THIS TIME IF I'M FORCED TO EAT MUD?"

Sam looked up, "Actually, it's top-soil."

"Whatever." Dash grunted before he thrust one of his mud-pies in front of Danny's face. "Now, you eat it."

Danny could only look at the mud-pie with disgust, beginning to think of ways out of eating it, before he noticed something. There, in the kitchen, was a floating, green-skinned woman wearing the traditional uniform of a lunch lady.

Now, being the son of two professional Ghost Hunters Danny could tell when he was looking at a Ghost or not. Without even realizing what he was doing, Danny gathered as much of his Ghost energy as he could while in human form. Fortunately for him, it was just enough energy for one use of his sonar-like technique.

However, as Danny released his hold on his energy, Danny caught what he thought to be somebody whispering in his ear. 'Pesquisa.'

The world around Danny bled away into the black-and-white scenery that he was familiar with as his technique expanded outwards like an actual sonar. For the first time he saw what other people looked like when passed over by his technique. Everyone, besides Sam and Tucker, in the cafeteria had dull, blue-colored flames.

However, when his technique reached the kitchen, Danny caught a glimpse of the flames that made up the Ghost. The flames were an eerie shade of green and white that seemed to radiate something that he couldn't quite comprehend.

Knowing that he needed a distraction, Danny's face shifted into a frown as he thought about what he could use. Eventually, he did the first thing that popped into his head; he grabbed a handful of the mud-pie before he threw it into Dash's face.

As Dash recoiled, clawing at his mud-covered eyes, Danny shouted. "GARBAGE FIGHT!"

"I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT GARBAGE, IT'S—" Sam began indignantly.

Danny grabbed the edge of Sam's skirt before he pulled her underneath their lunch table, silencing her mid-sentence. She glared at him as Tucker quickly joined them before they were off.

They crawled out of the relative safety that their table provided them and into the virtual rain of food that was flying around the cafeteria. It was lucky that they were, as if they had been standing, they would've been pelted with at least ten items of 'food' at any moment.

Dash managed to separate himself from the rain for a brief moment and then spotted Danny. "You are going to pay for this FENTON!"

Dash was then hit into the face with another mud-pie and then stumbled backwards and into the rain of food. Seeing this, Danny sighed.

"Oh, great… I'm still his favorite."

XXXXXX

(Casper High—Cafeteria—Kitchen)

After they had managed to sneak out of the cafeteria it hadn't taken to long for Danny, Sam, and Tucker to make their way to the kitchen. Silently opening the door to the kitchen, the trio walked inside. Once they shut the door behind them, the trio looked around the kitchen where they saw what looked to be a Ghost dressed as a lunch lady.

"Huh… she doesn't look so bad." Tucker whispered to his friends. "She even looks a little bit like my grandmother."

Danny nodded. "Shouldn't she be haunting a bingo hall or something?"

Hearing them, the Lunch Lady turned around to see Danny, Sam, and Tucker standing in the doorway. She smiled before she floated over to them. "Hello children, can you help me? Today's lunch is meatloaf but… I don't see any meatloaf." Her eyes became half-lidded as she leaned in half-an-inch closer. "Has somebody changed the menu?"

"Yeah." Tucker said before he pointed at Sam. "She did."

The Lunch Lady's kind expression instantly melted away, only to be replaced with a look of livid outrage as she gritted her teeth together. Her white hair—formerly contained in her hair-net—escaped as it whipped around her head like angry, white fire.

Green flames appeared on her fists as she suddenly backed up and pointed an accusatory finger at Sam. "YOU! YOU CHANGED THE MENU? THE MENU HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR FIFTY YEARS!"

"Get behind me!" Danny shouted to his friends.

Following his order, Sam and Tucker instantly rushed until they were behind Danny. Sam then sarcastically commented on how 'safe' she now felt as Danny transformed into his Ghost form.

The Lunch Lady paused in her rage—her hair calming down slightly—as a confused expression formed on her face. Why was that child's skin cracking and turning into ash? And why was that ash now converging around the child's body?

Ten seconds passed before the cyclone of ash surrounding Danny dissipated and the Lunch Lady got her answer. The Lunch Lady's eyes widened in fright at the sight of Danny's Ghost form, her hair now a mere smolder, before she backed up fearfully.

"Y-You're a-an Arr-rancar?" The Lunch Lady questioned. "B-But how…?" She shook her head. "There aren't supposed to be any Arrancar outside of Huceo Mundo!"

"Arrancar…?" Danny asked in a confused manner. "What the heck are you talking about?"

The Lunch Lady blinked. This Arrancar child didn't know what he was? Hm. If that were the case and he really didn't know anything, then maybe he didn't know how to fight like an Arrancar.

Meanwhile, Danny watched as the Lunch Lady smirked before her hair flared like white fire once more. She then lashed out with her right fist, which had begun glowing green, before the kitchen around her suddenly reacted.

Over a hundred round plates rose into the air like they were attached to invisible wires. Once they were floating in mid-air, the plates started to glow a bright green color before they flew towards Danny at high speeds.

There was no time to think about what was going on. Instead, Danny quickly channeled his energy into his fists until they were covered with an ice-blue shroud and then lunged forward. He met the onslaught of plates with well-placed palm-strikes, each hit causing a plate to shatter into dozens of tiny pieces.

The Lunch Lady was not amused with Danny's resistance. With another wave of her hand, a good portion of the remaining plates diverted from Danny's location before they zoomed towards Sam.

Seeing the incoming attack, Sam backed up, eyes widening in slight fear. Danny heard her gasp before he quickly channeled as much energy into his legs as was possible. He then seemed to vanish before he reappeared in front of Sam with his fists held at the ready.

Without a moment to lose, Danny quickly extended his arms before he proceeded to use them to catch the incoming plates.

The Lunch Lady frowned at the lack of success of her attack and thrust left arm forward. The remaining plates under her control flew towards Tucker, only for that Arrancar to catch them again.

Danny quickly put the plates he had caught back on a nearby shelf before he heard something rumble. He turned around to see that the kitchen's ovens were shaking, each possessing a green glow from within their crusty bowels.

"Lunch is sacred! Lunch has RULES!" The Lunch Lady stated, before pulling out a piece of cake. "Anybody want cake?"

Tucker and Sam simply nodded as they wore confused expressions on their faces. Why was the Lunch Lady offering them cake when she had just tried to kill them? It didn't make sense.

"To bad! Children who change MY menu do not get cake!" The Lunch Lady shouted.

Without further ado, the Lunch Lady became intangible before she floated out of the kitchen. The burners on the ovens exploded into jets of eerie green fire, the doors slamming open, before they released blasts of ectoplasm-enhanced fire. Danny took out his sword and, using it like a shield, managed to defend against one of the oven's fire-blasts. However, he was not prepared for the ovens to launch themselves at him, roaring as they flew through the air.

One oven impacted Danny's body, sending him flying into a wall. He got up slowly, rubbing his head, and saw that the three ovens were now advancing on Sam and Tucker. Danny raced towards his friends, gripping his sword with clenched hands, before he reached them. He sliced through one of the ovens, separating it into two pieces, and blocked a fire-blast form another oven.

"Get out of here!" Danny ordered his friends as fought with the possessed kitchen wear.

"But—" Sam protested as she didn't want to leave Danny alone.

"Go!" Danny interrupted, his arms shaking under the strain from holding the ovens off. "I don't know how long I can hold these things off!"

Sam hesitated for a couple of seconds before she nodded. She and Tucker than ran out of the kitchen, leaving Danny alone with the two ovens.

As one oven continued to shoot fire at Danny, the other oven snuck up behind the black-haired boy. It then jumped forward, only to be sliced in half by Danny's blade. The two pieces of the ghostly oven fell to the ground, before Danny rushed forward. He jumped to avoid a ghostly fire-blast, before he swung his sword towards the remaining oven. Danny's sword cut through the metal like butter, before the oven fell apart.

XXXXXX

(Minutes later—Casper High—Hallway)

Once Danny had finished dealing with the Lunch Lady's ovens, he had quickly gotten out of the kitchen before he set of in pursuit of Sam and Tucker. He had found them in a nearby hallway only minutes later.

Sam had a livid expression on her face, "Is this the thanks I get for being an individual?"

No one ever got the chance to respond to Sam's question as, moments later, Casper High shook as if a massive earthquake had hit it. The trio lost their footing and then fell to the floor, the lockers rattling ominously around them.

Then, without warning, the florescent lights above them flickered out one-by-one. The lockers then burst open before all of their contents forced their way out and towards a figure at the end of the hallway.

It was the Lunch Lady.

Everything that had been inside the lockers now swirled in a tight, seemingly white whirlpool behind the Lunch Lady's back. Sam flinched at the murderous expression the Lunch Lady was directing towards her, Danny gripped his sword, and Tucker sniffed the air.

"Steak, rib-eye… hot dogs, corndogs, bacon, hamburgers… ground beef…" Tucker stated with a glazed look in his eyes, a small bit of drool escaping his mouth.

All of the items that Tucker had just described had just flown down the hallway only moments earlier and was now beginning to stick onto the Lunch Lady. Soon enough, the Lunch Lady's body become incapable of being seen, as a shell f pure meat now surrounded her.

Tucker, however, wasn't concentrating on this; he was more concerned with the meat at the moment. "But… where did it all come from." Moments later, his eyes narrowed. "Lancer."

XXXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Casper High—Teacher's Lounge)

At the moment, Mr. Lancer was standing before his colleagues with a satisfied grin on his face. Clearing his throat, he gained everyone's attention, before he moved over to the row of covered tables near the back wall.

"Esteemed Casper High faculty may I have the honor to present to you your All-You-Can-Eat steak buffet." Mr. Lancer stated before he removed the white sheets covering the table. "Enjoy."

However, instead of hearing his colleagues move towards the tables, Mr. Lancer instead heard them gasp. He turned to see what the problem was and then saw it. All of the steak and other meat was gone: not even a single bone remained.

Mr. Lancer fell to his knees, "Paradise Lost!"

XXXXXX

(With Danny, Sam, and Tucker)

"Prepare to learn why MEAT is the most powerful of the five food groups!" The Lunch Lady roared as she pointed a large finger at Sam.

"Forget it!" Danny retorted as he stepped in front of Sam, glaring at the Lunch Lady. "The only one here with an expiration date is you!"

The Lunch Lady roared before she began to run towards the trio far faster than anyone would've thought she would have been able to. Knowing that he only had one offensive technique that could take the Lunch Lady down, Danny sighed.

While he didn't want to use that technique, he had no other choice. So, with this in mind, he gathered his energy into his hand. The energy had just begun to assume a vaguely spherical shape when something totally unexpected happened.

Danny transformed back into his human form.

The spherical blob exploded in Danny's face, whereupon he was sent tumbling back into he crashed into Tucker, knocking both of them down. Taking advantage of this, the Lunch Lady grabbed Sam before she turned and became intangible.

"DANNY!" Sam called out desperately as she struggled within the Lunch Lady's grasp, to no avail. "TUCKER!"

It was only moments later that the Lunch Lady sunk through the floor with Sam. Danny and Tucker got up from the ground—concerned expressions on their faces—before Tucker turned to Danny.

"Come on, Danny! Change back! We need to go, now!"

However, before Danny could do anything, both teenagers felt a strong hand grab the collars of their shirts from behind. They were then pulled of the ground and turned, seeing the angry face of Mr. Lancer and Dash.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" Mr. Lancer said with a frown.

Dash—still covered in various food-stuffs—grinned nastily. "I told you I'd make you pay, Fenton!"

XXXXXX

(Later—Casper High—Mr. Lancer's Office)

After they had been caught, Mr. Lancer had taken Danny and Tucker to his office. Dash had met them there after a trip to the bathroom where he cleaned up,

Dash was now leaning against the wall of Mr. Lancer's office—near the door—with a smirk on his face as Mr. Lancer started to read Danny and Tucker's personal records. Maybe he could use some of this stuff later on?

"Tucker Foley: Chronic tardiness, talking in class, repeated loitering by the girls' locker room." Mr. Lancer put down Tucker's file before he picked up Danny's. "Danny Fenton: Banned from holding fragile school property after breaking 34 beakers in the last month." He put both files away before he returned his attention to the two teenagers. "But other than that there has been no severe mischief." Mr. Lancer then slammed his fist on his desk. "So tell me why the two of you conspired to DESTROY the school's cafeteria!"

Danny frowned at the accusation—though he did technically start it—as the blame shouldn't have been his. "But Dash started it! He threw—!"

"—Four touchdown passes in the last game, and is therefore exempt from punishment. You two… are not. I'll tell you both your punishments when I return." Mr. Lancer said.

With that, Mr. Lancer and Dash left the room, whereupon Mr. Lancer told Dash to guard the door. Dash nodded his assent, smirked at Danny and Tucker, before slamming the door shut in their faces.

However, by the time the door was closed, Danny and Tucker had already gotten up.

"We have to find Sam." Tucker looked down, feeling a bit guilty. "For some reason, I feel like I got her kidnapped…"  
>"Maybe your feeling that way because you told the Ghost that Sam changed the menu? How about that?" Danny said sarcastically.<p>

Tucker didn't respond, as he knew that Danny was right. However, after a couple moments, Tucker's nostrils suddenly flared. He looked around for another couple of moments—sniffing the air—before he turned to Danny.

"That meat is still in the building… 200 yards tops."

Tucker then turned to the row of monitors that hung on the left wall of Mr. Lancer's office. Examining them closely, he finally touched one monitor, a slight smirk on his face as he beckoned Danny over.

"Check it out dude: meat trail."

Danny frowned, "Okay. We know where she is… but, how are we going to get out of here? Knowing where she is won't help much if we can't get out."

Tucker grinned. Walking over the air vent above Mr. Lancer's desk, he removed a pick from his belt. He then stood on Mr. Lancer's desk as he unscrewed the two bolts holding the vent closed—grabbing them before they could hit the floor—and then gestured to the open air vent.

"Shall we?" Tucker asked.

Danny nodded with a grin of his own and then walked over to Tucker. Tucker helped him up into the grate before he helped Tucker up. Tucker then shut the grate and closed the air vent by screwing the two bolts back in.

Not even five seconds later did Mr. Lancer walk into the room, a broom in each hand, with Dash trailing behind him.

"Gentlemen, your punishment will be—" Mr. Lancer began, only to then notice the two empty chairs in the middle of his office. His eyes narrowed angrily. "WORSE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGNINE!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note;** A lot of people have been asking some questions, so we'd thought we clear some things up before we began the next chapter.

**Moonlightrurouni:** Didn't Aizen send Harribel to Amity? Or does that happen later?

-This is one of the most asked questions that we get. In simplest terms, Tier and her Fracción know that there IS an Arrancar somewhere in North America, but not where that Arrancar is.

**Kami no Kage:** What is the Ghost Zone?

-The Ghost Zone is a dimension separate from the Soul Society, Huceo Mundo, and Hell. Everything within the Ghost Zone is made out of electronically-charged ectoplasm.

-Ghosts themselves are actually the emotions that a Plus (Or a Hollow) leaves behind when they enter the Soul Society and lose their memories. However, instead of lingering in the Dangai, these emotions are somehow drawn into the Ghost Zone, where they will fuse together with Ectoplasm to become a Ghost.


	5. Chapter Five:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Five:<p>

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—Casper High—Food Storage)<p>

"Dear child, why won't you eat meat?" The Lunch Lady asked with a frown. "Your body needs it, whether you like it or not."

Sam glared at her with as much force as she could muster from her position.

After the Lunch Lady had kidnapped her, Sam had thought that the Lunch Lady would kill her in some lunch meat related way. It was a reasonable belief, considering that the Lunch Lady had made two attempts on her life today. However, the Lunch Lady did something completely unexpected.

Instead of killing her, the Lunch Lady had taken Sam to Casper High's food storage, a freezer-like building in which Casper High stored the majority of the perishable food that was shipped in. Once inside the building, the Lunch Lady had gently set Sam on the floor—confusing Sam —before she raised her right hand. The Ghost had then fired two, ectoplasm-filled beams at Sam, who recoiled at the very sight of the "attack". While in the air, the two beams spilt off in an ever-widening gap. They then impacted against Sam's wrists and ankles with a sticky 'splat', wrapped around them tightly, and hardened into a dark-green substance.

Effectively bound with what appeared to be a murderous Ghost looming over her, Sam thought that she was going to die. This led to a rapid increase in her pulse, her eyes prickling with tears, and sweat to emerge from her forehead and under her arms.

Was this how it was going to end?

"Now, why did you have to change me menu, dearie?"

Sam was rendered speechless at this question and found herself looking at the Lunch Lady with a dumbfounded expression on her face. What had the Ghost just said?

Her sense of shock faded quickly and was replaced with a heavy sense of disbelief. She then wondered why after all the trouble, and murder attempts, would the Lunch Lady ask her this now. Why did it matter if she had anyway?

However, after mere seconds of contemplation, a niggling doubt in the back of Sam's mind decided to make itself known. Could all of her current troubles with the Lunch Lady have been caused by her need for change?

"Why does it matter if I changed the menu?" Sam finally asked as she glared at her captor with a small glare on her face. "All I did was try and start something new for the school! Is that so bad?"

The Lunch Lady shook her head softly, "My dear child… change is never a bad thing. Personally, I believe that a healthy need for change should be nurtured within children."

This answer threw Sam through a loop. If the Lunch Lady was agreeing with her in the idea that change wasn't a bad thing, then why all the hostility towards her? Why was she making such a big fuss about her changing the menu? It didn't make any sense!

"… If you agree with me then why are you so mad that I took meat off the menu?" Sam demanded to know.

"Because meat is good for kids: it helps them grow and makes them smile." The Lunch Lady responded before she made a chicken leg float into her right hand. She waved it in Sam's face. "Now, won't you try some?"

Sam shook her head defiantly, "No! We don't need to eat meat, that's a fact!"

"SILENCE! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF MEAT! MEAT IS THE BEST, NATURALLY OCCURING, WELL-BALLANCED FOOD THERE IS!"

Sam recoiled from the ghost's rage.

"Meat contains ALL of the necessary acids and vitamins that the body needs to stay healthy! No single plant comes close when it comes to the amount of essential proteins and vitamins that meat can provide!"

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Danny and Tucker)

While the Lunch Lady was busy trying to make Sam eat meat, something weird was going on with the air vents. The only vent that led to the outside of the building suddenly started to rattle around before it actually broke open. This sent a small rain of broken metal down as two teenagers fell to the floor.

"Dammit, Tuck…" Danny groaned as he got up from the box underneath him. "… You're lucky that box was there to break our fall."

"Sorry, Danny. I thought that these vents would be like the ones in the main building…" Tucker smiled sheepishly. "… Guess I was wrong…"

"It's okay…" Danny sighed, leaning his back against a nearby box, Tucker falling in behind him. "I don't think the Ghost heard us… which is good." He frowned. "I'd better transform before she does, though…"

Only seconds later, Danny's skin began to crack around the palm of his right hand before the cracking quickly spread to the rest of his body. Silver ash obstructed Danny from Tucker's view as it swirled around Danny like a miniature vortex. Then, once the ash had dissipated, it revealed Danny's "Arrancar" form.

Danny was much lankier than he had been in his Human form, though he still retained a fair bit of muscle here and there. He stood at about average height with pale white skin, short and messy silver hair, and emerald-colored eyes.

He was wearing a white jacket with white hakama pants that were tied with a black sash and a pair of white boots. Also, in the sash was Danny's sword. Unsheathed, it was a beautiful blade with a rectangular, light-green tsuba that shined in the light. Looking further, one could also see the large, silver snowflake that branched out from the center of the tsuba until it touched the edges of it.

The only things that would confirm Danny wasn't actually human were the white, choker-like segment of bone around his neck and the small, two-inch hole in the middle of his right hand.

Without wasting any time, Danny quickly gathered some of energy for a pulse of his sonar-like technique. However, unlike the last times he had used it, the energy was somehow faster and easier to gather.

"Pesquisa (Inquiry)."

Danny didn't realize he had even spoken until the strange, unfamiliar word had left his mouth. He had no time to wonder why he had said as his technique began to work. The world around him became black and white for a few moments, before Danny sensed something troubling. Hidden all over the building were small, green-white flames that Danny could assume were Ghosts. It seemed, however, that these Ghosts were weaker than the Lunch Lady and connected to the female Ghost somehow.

Danny also could sense just where the Lunch Lady was; a little over 45 feet away from him and Tucker while only five feet away from Sam. He was so happy over 'seeing' that Sam wasn't dead yet that he almost missed the two Ghost signatures blocking the path to her.

After a moment, Danny turned to Tucker and told him about what he had sensed. Tucker nodded with a frown, wondering how they would get to Sam. They couldn't use the route that led towards her, or else whatever the Lunch Lady was controlling would attack them, allowing the Lunch Lady to escape with Sam.

"Danny… I think I have an idea..." Tucker said after a moment, drawing his friend's attention. "It's a little risky… but I think it could work."

XXXXXX

(With Sam and the Lunch Lady)

The Lunch Lady had just finished another rant on why she believed children should eat meat as a main part of their diet when she heard a faint whistling. Turning around, she saw a humanoid hunk of meat flying towards her.

Not having that much time to react, the Lunch Lady simply allowed herself to become intangible so that the meat to pass through her. The meat landed on the ground behind her with a sickly 'plop', only a few feet away from Sam. That, however, was not what the Lunch Lady was now focusing on. No, her attention now belonged to the Arrancar child standing 10 feet away from her, an extremely angry expression on his face.

"Let. Her. Go."

Hearing his voice, Sam turned as much as she was able to and saw Danny. Like the Lunch Lady, she noticed that he was in his "Arrancar" form, looked very mad, and was now pointing his sword towards the Lunch Lady.

"You think you can threaten me, child?" The Lunch Lady asked before she frowned. "You may have the powers of an Arrancar, but… unless you know how to use them, it means nothing."

With that, a meaty fist impacted against Danny's cheek and sent him crashing into a nearby row of unmarked boxes. The boxes then fell on top of Danny, who was still slightly dizzy from impact. After a couple of moments, Danny managed to push the boxes of off him to reveal his relatively unhurt body. As he struggled to stand up he then got a clear look at what had just attacked him.

In front of the Lunch Lady were now twelve large, humanoid creatures made out of meat. These creatures watched as Danny wiped a bit of blood from his chin, grinning slightly as their green eyes glowed in the dim light.

"Seize him!" The Lunch Lady threw her right arm forward, towards Danny.

The creatures complied with their mistress and three of them began running towards Danny. Halfway there, they jumped into the air and they pulled back their legs, intending to send the Arrancar flying with three mid-air kicks.

Instinctively, Danny swung his sword and released as much of his energy as he could through it. This in turn, caused an ice-blue crescent wave to fly off his sword and it bite into the three meat monsters, shredding them into individual piles of meat. Danny was still stunned over the results of his attack, it was more effective then he thought. A small portion of the ceiling above then fell onto the floor.

Perhaps it had been a bit too effective.

However, Danny didn't have that long to ponder what he had just done, as the three piles of meat before him reformed into the humanoid meat monsters. Then, along with the nine other creatures, they lunged at him.

"Crap."

XXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Tucker)

As soon as Danny had gotten the Lunch Lady's attention, Tucker had made his way over to Sam. He had snuck out from behind a pile of boxes that were near Sam and stealthily made his way to her. Shocked, but extremely happy, Sam looked like she was about to say something until her put a finger to her lips.

"I'll get you out of here in no time Sam. I just need you to be quiet." Tucker whispered to her.

Moving over to Sam's backside, Tucker frowned when he got a look at what was restraining Sam. Her wrists and ankles were covered in what looked to be hardened slime. He looked at the slime for a couple of seconds before he took out his pick, and went to work. Tucker grew increasingly frustrated as the seconds ticked by. No matter what lock-picking trick he tried, it wasn't enough to pry the slime from Sam's wrists. In his growing desperation he had even tried to hack away at it, though to no avail.

To add to his frustration, Tucker could hear Danny fighting against the Lunch Lady and her minions. He hated to hear his best friend cry out as he was hurt, knowing that Danny was going through all of that to buy him time to free Sam.

Tucker's hand started to shake as he wiped his sweaty brow with the sound of his own heartbeat blocking out the sounds of Danny's battle against the Lunch Lady. His friends were getting hurt while he was just sitting there, unable to do anything to help either one of them.

"NO!" Tucker screamed as he ruthlessly began digging at the slim with his hands. "Don't worry, Sam… I'm going to get you out!"

"STOP HIM!" Screamed the Lunch Lady as she finally took note of what Tucker was doing.

Tucker kept digging at the slime, growing more determined by the minute. He would get Sam out of this if it was the last thing he did! A sudden feeling of power surged through Tucker's body, though he wasn't aware of it in his current mindset. This made it a shock for him when he actually began to tear away the slime covering Sam until his friend was completely free.

A fair distance away, the Lunch Lady's eyes widened. That Human child had actually managed to break the ectoplasm-based bonds? How—how was that even possible? No Human should have been able to do that!

Getting up, Danny quickly spotted the meat monsters rushing towards his friends as his eyes widened in alarm. Knowing that he would be unable to reach them in time, Danny quickly brought his hand forward and gathered his energy. A lumpy, ice-blue sphere of energy formed in front of his fist before he launched it at the meat monsters.

The meat monsters shrieked as they were hit by Danny's technique and were then vaporized by it. Not even a spec of meat was left from where they had once stood, only small wisps of black smoke.

Seeing this, the Lunch Lady frowned before she countered with a beam of pure ectoplasm. When the two techniques met, the area in-between them was consumed within a massive explosion that rocked the entire building.

The boxes that hadn't immediately been vaporized were now on fire. Smoke from these boxes soon filled the entire room as the fire spread.

Danny ran through the smoke—eyes burning—as he looked for his friends. The Lunch Lady could wait for now. As he ran through the smoke, Danny called for Sam and Tucker. However, neither of his friends had yet to respond to him. Why weren't they responding to him?

"Danny! Where are you?" There was a brief pause. "Tucker's hurt!"

Eyes widening, Danny quickly called out to Sam before he asked her to keep talking so that he could get to her. He found both of them by a nearby corner of untouched boxes, only to see Tucker clutching his left arm in pain.

"What happened?"

Tucker winced, "One of those meat things got me in the arm before Sam punched it off me and into your attack…" He looked down at his arm. "I think it's broken."

Danny and Sam looked at each other for a brief moment before they helped get Tucker off of the ground, all the while making sure to be gentle and to not jostle his injured arm. Together they then slowly began to make their way through the smoke.

However it soon became apparent that they didn't know where they were going and not knowing where you're going in a burning building isn't a good thing. Adding onto this was the fact that breathing in this acrid smoke was beginning to take its toll on them.

"I don't… I don't think I can go that much father…" Tucker coughed a bit as they walked past another pile of burning boxes.

Danny tightened his grip on his friends shoulder, "Just hold on, Tuck. I'll get us out." Thinking for a moment, he told Sam to hang onto Tucker before he pulled out his sword_. 'I hope this works…'_

Danny then began channeling his energy into his sword and grasped onto the memory of how it felt when he had released energy from his sword. Then, praying to whatever deity that bothered to listen, Danny swung his sword and released a crescent of ice-blue energy. The crescent wave cut down and through a few nearby boxes, as well as clearing some of the smoke in their path. Danny told Sam and Tucker to follow him before he began to walk forward, unleashing another volley of crescent-shaped blasts to cut down anything in his path.

As they made their way through the smoke and fire Danny began to feel the strain on his reserves as he let loose another blast of energy, he honestly didn't know how long he could keep this up. In what seemed like an eternity later Danny had released one last blast of energy and broke through the outer walling of the food storage building.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam then stumbled out of the building, coughing, as the smoke began to pour out of the hole Danny had made. Somehow, they managed to get away from the food storage building and into a nearby alleyway before the police and firefighters showed up.

"That was way too close." Danny panted out as he shifted back into his Human form.

"You're right man, but… what are we going to do?" Tucker responded before he looked down at his broken arm. "My arm is broken."

Sam frowned for a moment and then brightened somewhat, "Hey, didn't your mom study medicine when she was in college Danny?" Danny nodded a bit as he tried to regain control of his breathing. "Couldn't we get her to set Tucker's arm?"

"Yeah, I think she could. But, after that, I think we should talk about what happened today."

XXXXXX

(Later—Amity Park—Fenton residence)

"Hello?" Jazz called out as she walked into the darkened entryway of her home. "Mom? Dad? Is anybody there?"

Hearing something metallic banging near hear, Jazz turned and saw a canister rolling down the staircase and towards her. She didn't have any time to react before the canister hit the floor and opened, sending vast amounts of white smoke into the air.

There came a rapid series of footsteps from within the smoke. "Now, Maddie! I'm going in! Hold my back!"

Jazz screamed when she felt somebody grab her legs and swayed, almost falling backwards. She recovered just in time to hear something like a vacuum cleaner before she felt her hair being sucked into something.

The smoke cleared only a few seconds later, revealing the two culprits of the sudden ambush: her mom and her dad. Jazz scowled before she crossed her arms, glaring at her parents until they released her legs.

"This is all going in the memoir." Jazz grumbled as she began walking away, dragging the vacuum-cleaner behind her, as she hadn't yet pulled her hair out of it.

Before either Jack or Maddie could comment, the front door opened and Danny walked in with his two friends, Sam and Tucker. Jack and Maddie quickly got up and about to welcome their son home, but then they saw the condition the three teenagers were in.

"What happened to you three?" Maddie exclaimed with concern in her voice. She quickly approached the teenager, and then noticed Tucker cradling one of his arms. "Are you okay?"

Danny shifted under his mom's gaze, wondering what he should tell her. He couldn't tell her the truth unless he wanted to reveal what had happened during the Accident. Maybe, maybe a half-truth would work?

"There was a fire at school, just three minutes before school got out. By the time we got out, the smoke had already started towards the school. As we were making our way here, we were almost hit by a car. We managed to jump out of the way but Tucker broke his arm when he used it to cushion his fall."

Maddie frowned for a moment before she told the three teenagers to follow her. She led them all down to the lab where she opened up a cabinet, pulled out a first-aid kit, and called Tucker over. When he got there, she began to feel around Tucker's arm, testing to see where it was broken.

"It's a clean break, luckily enough." Maddie said as she released Tucker, pulling out a wooden shaft, some gauze, and two metal clips from her medical kit. She then reset the bone and braced it with the stick.

Once the makeshift brace was done, Tucker stepped away, his cheeks slightly red. "T-Thanks Mrs. Fenton."

XXXXXX

Once everyone had been patched up by his mom, Danny had retreated to his room with Sam and Tucker. Once they were all within the room Danny closed the door and turned to his friends.

"A lot of weird things happened today guys… I think it would be best if we talked about them and got each other's opinions about them." Danny said with a serious expression on his face.

There was a brief pause before Sam spoke up, "There has been something that's been bothering me. Do you guys remember when Danny first transformed? The Lunch Lady looked like she was going to pass out."

"Yeah! She acted like you weren't a Ghost at all, Danny." Tucker agreed with a nod as his face showed some confusion. "What was it that she called you again…?"

"She called me… an 'Arrancar'." Danny answered, feeling that the name was somehow right when it rolled off his tongue. "I think she also mentioned something about 'Huceo Mundo' and why I wasn't there."

Tucker frowned at the new facts that were presented to them, "Okay, so maybe you're not a Ghost but… something close to a Ghost. If you are, it would make sense for the Lunch Lady to know of you." He paused. "Maybe this 'Huceo Mundo' is what Ghosts actually call the Ghost Zone."

"That could make sense but, why was she so scared?" Danny murmured before he shook his head, "Anyways, I have something else to tell you guys. When I used my sonar technique, I heard somebody whisper 'Pesquisa' into my ear."

This admission caused Sam and Tucker to share a brief, concerned glance with eachother before they turned back towards Danny. It appeared he hadn't noticed their looks, too distracted by his own thoughts over what had happened today.

"… 'Arrancar', 'Huceo Mundo', and now 'Pesquisa'… I'll look up those words tonight and see if I can find anything about them, okay dude?" Tucker half-offered half-asked.

"Alright."

"Let's just hope that nothing will make the Lunch Lady angrier than she was today…" Sam thought aloud, shivering at the memory of the Lunch Lady's murderous expression.

XXXXXX

(The next day—Amity Park—Casper High)

"Or not."

Upon returning to school the next day, Casper High students heard about and saw the results of two protest rallies that had been set up overnight. Both rallies had been set up on the football field so there was no end to the amount of arguments from the opposing sides.

On the left side of the football field were the 'Meat Connoisseurs', led by Mrs. Sarah Johnson of Casper High's PTA. Mrs. Johnson had been a major voice ofoppositionduring the debates revolving around Sam's changing of the menu, but had been outvoted. This had led to the changing of the menu and the Lunch Lady's subsequent attacks.

The Meat Connoisseurs' had multiple barbeques going with a bunch of inflatable cows floating overhead. On the makeshift stage that they had built, a row of girls dressed as hotdogs were doing the Can-Can.

On the other side of the football field was what appeared to be brightly-dressed Hippies; the Ultra-Recyclable Vegetarians. They were carrying multiple signs promoting their food group of choice while chanting to something that a man said on their stage.

Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the man shouting on the stage was none other than Mr. Jason Cross. Mr. Cross was also a member of the PTA and, like Sam, was a firm believer in Ultra-Recyclable Vegetarianism. He had opposed Mrs. Johnson in the menu debates, and wanted the current menu to remain unchanged.

"How in the world did two different protest rallies get set up this quickly?" Danny wondered aloud as he saw Mrs. Johnson storm over to the veggie-hippies and began to argue with Mr. Cross.

"Actually, we've had this protest ready for months." Sam admitted before she produced a folder from her backpack and handed it over to Danny. Danny opened the folder and found himself looking at the plans to the rally. "We U.R.V figured that the school's newsletter would cause some of the meat-eaters to protest, so we prepared a counter-protest."

"Wait… if news about the menu changing was in the school's newsletter then…" Danny looked at Tucker. "Why didn't you know about it?"

Tucker scoffed at the idea of reading the paper, "I don't need something as archaic as the newsletter." He pulled out his P.D.A. and looked at it affectionately. "My baby gives me all the information I need."

"And that is why Tucker had no idea what was happening until it was too late." Sam finished with a smirk. "Your reaction to the menu change was funny… Maybe you should consider a career in comedy, Tuck."

Tucker pouted at Sam's good natured teasing.

"… Guys… I think we may have a problem." Danny said, having just realized something.

"What?"

"These rallies have a lot of the people that were involved in changing the menu… and the Lunch Lady was REALLY mad at Sam for changing it. Plus," Danny pointed towards the meat-truck that had just arrived. "There is more than enough meat for the Lunch Lady to control."

Both Sam and Tucker paled at Danny's deduction. "That doesn't mean that she'll attack, right?"

Three seconds passed before Tucker's question was answered. All three teenagers heard the Lunch Lady laugh from somewhere nearby before every piece of meat, cooked or not, shot into the air. The meat then converged to a single point 200 feet in the sky before it began to twist and turn like some kind of tornado. As the meat spun faster and faster before they started to merge together. It took seconds for a mountainous meat monster to form before it snapped open its green eyes, and roared down at the people below:

"IT'S LUNCH TIME!"

People panicked to say the least. Everyone immediately dropped whatever they had been doing before they raced towards the exits of the football field. If someone fell to the ground, they were trampled upon by the feet of people who just wanted to get away.

"Meat!" Tucker covered his eyes with his hands, wailing. "Why have you betrayed me?"

"Guys!" Danny hissed to his friends, snapping them out of their shock induce funk.

Tucker and Sam heard and understood the unspoken order immediately. They quickly moved to hug Danny—thereby hiding him from the eyes of the mob—to give him enough time to transform. Seconds later they separated, revealing Danny in his Arrancar form, ready for battle.

Danny ran through the crowd for a few moments before he came to a stop 100 feet away from the Lunch Lady. She seemed to notice him as she lowered herself slightly, her eerie green-colored eyes glowing with a malevolent fire.

"I won't underestimate you again, Arrancar! So, prepare to face the full force of my L'essence de la nourriture (The Essence of Food)!"

Huge chunks of meat fell from the Lunch's Lady's body and landed on the ground with a sickly splat. It only took a few seconds for these globs to begin transforming into numerous meat monsters the size of Great White Sharks.

"Crap." Danny mumbled as the monsters surrounded him.

The meat monsters then took action, launching themselves towards Danny with incredible speeds. Danny then jumped back as he didn't want a hole punched through his abdomen. However, he wasn't aware that another meat monster had appeared behind him until it backhanded him into the air.

Danny flew a couple dozen yards before he crashed onto the ground, skidding to a stop on the turf grass. As he struggled to get up Danny saw the meat monsters rushing towards him again. Know that he had to take them out before they got to him Danny began gathering energy for his laser-like attack. Sweat tricked down his face as the monsters drew ever closer while his attack was still not completed. Just as the meat monsters had gotten within five feet of him,Danny could feel that he had completed his technique.

Launching it as fast as he could, Danny watched as the ice blue beam ripped through and then vaporized any of the meat in its path. He even heard the Lunch Lady exclaim in pain as it hit her. Once the attack was done Danny noticed that he had taken a good chunk out of her new lower body.

Score!

His small victory didn't matter though as it appeared that two of the meat monsters were smart enough to have jumped out of the way of his attack. Danny was just about to prepare another attack when the heads of the monsters were cut off by two green lights. Headless, the two meat monsters' former bodies collapsed into individual piles of meat.

The Lunch Lady frowned as she looked at the two new combatants that had entered her battle against the Arrancar; two jumpsuit-wearing adults. While weaker than her, those two could prove to be an annoyance that she didn't need while fighting an Arrancar.

"La Viande Clonée (Meat Clones)!" The Lunch Lady stated before she used the barest amount of meat possible to create about 20 meat clones. She pointed at the two Humans. "Destroy them!"

Jack and Maddie Fenton look at the Ghost-possessed meat charging towards them before they looked at each other. Smiling, they raised their Ghost Hunting equipment and charged into battle.

Meeting in the middle of the football field, the two forces collided.

Maddie engaged the nearest squadron of meat clones with her Fenton Quarterstaff. Jack jumped over his wife and, as he landed on the ground, turned on the perfected Fenton Extractor before he spun it around. The Extractor then began to draw all of the Lunch Lady's Ghost energy into it.

Seconds later, the meat clones around Jack and Maddie fell to the ground, no longer filled with the energy that gave them life. Jack looked up as the meat fell down around him as he twirled the Fenton Extractor above his head and grinned.

"Who else wants some?"

XXXXXX

While his parents were busy dealing with the Lunch Lady's meat clones, Danny was busy dealing with the Lunch Lady herself. At the moment, he was dodging one of the multiple streams of meat that the Ghost was sending at him. He was doing a pretty good job, if he did say so himself.

The Lunch Lady was furious, "THAT'S IT!" With a roar, she threw her arms outward. "Viande le Tsunami (Meat Tsunami)!"

All of the meat that made up the Lunch Lady's new body suddenly flew off her and high into the air, where it assumed the shape of an enormous red wave. Danny's eyes widened at the sheer size of the wave and what would definitely happen to him if it hit him. So, he quickly began to gather his energy for his beam attack as fast as he possibly could.

Just when the Viande le Tsunami was about to crash down on him, Danny finished his technique. He then fired it towards the meat wave without a second's thought before he was thrown back from the force of the explosion that the attack created.

The Lunch Lady had to shield her eyes from the sudden explosion with her arm as she was pushed ten feet backwards. She quickly recovered, however, only to see the Arrancar falling towards the ground; his clothes were mildly burnt from the explosion. This was her chance!

"Danse des Lances Barbecue (Dance of the Barbeque Spears)!"

Hundreds of ribs from the remaining pile of meat flew into the air like a swarm of locust. Once in the air, a green glow appeared around the ribs intensified before it stretched out until the ribs resembled miniature spears.

As he flew through the air Danny managed to catch sight of the spears and felt his eyes widened. He quickly figured out that he wouldn't be able to dodge as he continued tumbling through the air and felt a twinge of fear. As the spears flew closer and closer Danny began to wonder if this was how he was going to die.

Something within Danny rebelled against this idea and seemed to shift. He felt his energy being drawn to the soles of his feet before it spread out into the air beneath them. Milliseconds later, he felt something solid beneath his feet and Danny found himself standing on the air itself.

"What the—?" Danny began before he stopped himself: there was no time to be wondering about what had just happened. Now was the time to move. So, he quickly kicked off the air beneath his feet and dodged the first barrage of ribs. While he descended, Danny quickly took out his sword and, after channeling his energy into it, released an enormous crescent wave of energy.

When the Lunch Lady's barbeque spears met his crescent energy, there was a brief struggle before Danny's attack ripped through and shredded the meat. The ribs, now resembling ground beef, fell to the ground in useless chunks.

The Lunch Lady was seething. How was it that this Arrancar child, who didn't even know what he was, beating her? It didn't make any sense! He shouldn't been able to beat her at all!

"I'm not beaten yet!" The Lunch Lady growled, glaring at the Arrancar as he landed on the ground. "Prepare to experience the full power of meat Arrancar! Déjeuner Abomination (Lunch Abomination)!"

All of the remaining meat flew towards the Lunch Lady and wrapped around her body before it began to compress. The meat shrunk and then fused to the Lunch Lady's body where it began to form into muscles. It was then that the scattered utensils from around the football field flew towards the Lunch Lady. This metal attached to the Lunch Lady's wrists before it transformed into sharp, wicked-looking claws. Her face was like a skinless demon with steak knives for teeth and green fire for eyes.

"Now Arrancar, let's see how you deal with my strongest form!" The Lunch Lady shouted before she lunged herself at Danny.

Danny quickly brought up his sword to block the first swipe of the Lunch Lady's claws, though his guard broke upon the second swipe. Taking advantage of this, the Lunch Lady raked her claws across Danny's chest, leaving him with five semi-deep wounds to the chest. She then used an uppercut to send him hurdling backwards, blood flying from his mouth.

Panting, Danny regained his footing on the air before he began gathering energy for his energy fist attack. However, before he could finish it, the Lunch Lady's right arm stretched towards Danny as her fist wrapped around him. Danny cried out as she began to squeeze him, the pressure feeling as if twenty anacondas were trying to strangle him.

"Did you really think I'd let you prepare another attack…? Now, I think this battle has gone on long enough… It's time to finish this." The Lunch Lady began to spin around, faster and faster, until Danny felt like he would throw up. "And now, for the finisher: Purée de Livres Sismiques (Puree Seismic Slam)!"

Using the momentum from her spin, the Lunch Lady threw Danny over her shoulder before she slammed him into the ground. More blood flew from Danny's lips as he released a pained groan. The pain that he was feeling right now was so intense that he was unable to move.

The Lunch Lady smirked at the downed Arrancar, "How does it feel to be an Arrancar who has been beaten by a Ghost? It must feel pretty awful… especially when I'm considered one of the weaker Ghosts in the Ghost Zone. I—"

At that moment, Jack Fenton came up from behind the ghost and hit her on the back of her head with the Fenton Extractor. The Lunch Lady grunted as she felt a portion of her energy being sucked away before she backhanded the foolish Human into his wife.

However, she had not noticed the small object that Jack had thrown moments before he had been backhanded. It proved to be a big mistake as, once the device began beeping, the Lunch Lady looked down. Lying by her feet was a green grenade with the word 'Fenton' on it that beebed faster and faster causing her eyes to go wide. The Lunch Lady was then consumed within a massive, green explosion as the grenade detonated.

Jack Fenton smiled weakly, seeing that he had gotten the Ghost after all, before he fainted. He, nor his wife, noticed when a pale hand grabbed something that had flown from Jack's pocket the moment he Lunch Lady had backhanded him.

The Lunch Lady pulled herself out of the crater caused by the Fenton Grenade's detonation, only to see Danny standing before her. It honestly surprised her to see him standing with his wounds, before she saw the thermos he was holding and became enraged again.

"Soup's not on the menu!" The Lunch Lady shouted at the wounded hero.

"Didn't you know…?" Danny questioned, aiming the thermos. "The menu's been changed."

A beam of white light erupted from the end of the thermos, hitting the Lunch Lady before she could react. She struggled against it to no avail as it began pulling her towards the thermos, shouting her defiance until she had completely disappeared into it.

Once that was done, Danny slammed the lid back onto the Fenton Thermos, before a wave of dizziness overtook him. He started to fall to his knees before he felt someone catch him. Danny weakly turned his head to the side and saw that Tucker and Sam were holding him up.

"That was amazing." Sam whispered, looking at her friend in a new light. "… I can't believe you won."

"Yeah… It was pretty close. Still though, you won! It's over now." Tucker said to Danny as he reverted back to his human form.

"No…" Danny responded, shaking his head. "I think that this is just the beginning."

XXXXXX

In the western region of Death Valley, a thin black line was forming on the surface of the air itself. There was a momentary pause until the area around the line began to twist and turn, as if something was trying to break through it.

A couple of moments passed before a massive black tear, shaped like a mouth, opened from where the line had been only moments before. There, standing amidst a swirling grayish-black background, were four figures. These figures stepped out of the tear and into the silvery moonlight just as the tear began to close behind them.

The first was a dark-skinned woman with long, thick wavy brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a tight white tank-top, black track pants, and a pair of white sneakers. Another feature about her was that she was very tall and had highly defined muscles.

The next figure had jaw-length black hair and heterochromia; her right eye being ice blue while her left eye was amber with a red outline around it. Her skin was very pale and her face was etched into a permanent scowl. She was wearing a white jacket and a pair of dark-blue jeans that obscured her feet.

The third woman had long, olive hair, lavender eyes, and three pink dots beneath her right eye. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved kimono top and a black skirt that reached below her knees. She held her sleeve up to her face and obscured the lower half of her face from view.

The final woman had dark skin, green eyes, thick blond eyelashes, and messy short blonde hair with three braided locks. She was wearing a white jacket with a high collar that covered her mouth but exposed her midriff, a pair of baggy black pants, and white sneakers. She also was wearing a long black and white checkered scarf that obscured the entire bottom half of her face from view.

"Dammit! That Szayel jerk sent us to the middle of freaking nowhere!" The black-haired woman complained irritably. Huffing, she crossed her arms as she looked around at the barren landscape. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Calm down, Apacci. Just because that you have the body of a ten year-old doesn't mean that you have to act like one." The brown-haired woman taunted her shorter companion.

"SHUT UP MILA ROSE! JUST BECAUSE YOU KEPT THAT COW-LIKE BODY OF YOURS DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TALK DOWN TO ME!" Emilou Apacci shouted as she turned to face her aggressor.

A tick mark appeared on Franceska Mila Rose's forehead, "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME YOU WASHBOARD-CHESTED FREAK?"

"I called you a cow!"

"Why you little RAILROAD SPIKE!"

"UGLY GORILLA!"

"My, my, my… I didn't think that you two monkeys would get into an argument for at least another ten seconds." The green-haired woman commented softly, her left sleeve covering her mouth. "It seems as if my expectations for the two of you were too high…"

Instantly, both Mila Rose and Apacci turned as their anger towards the green haired woman. "SHUT UP SUNG-SUN!"

Cyan Sung-Sun shoved her hand into Mila-Rose and Apacci's faces, silently telling them to 'talk to the hand'. Furious, Mila Rose and Apacci were about to lay into Sung-Sun when another voice interrupted them.

"Enough!"

All three of the younger women stopped at the sound of their mistress, Tier Harribel—the Tercera Espada. They then bowed their heads, each of them ashamed and embarrassed by their previous actions.

"Sorry, Dama Harribel."

Tier didn't respond automatically. "Remember, while we are on this mission we are not allowed to attract the Soul Society's attention. This is why we cannot use our powers, and why Szayel provided these Gigai to us; they mute our Reiatsu to the point where it undetectable."

"Dama Harribel, does this mean that we'll have to look for the Arrancar Jehovah Aizen wants… on foot?" Apacci asked.

"Indeed. However, we are not without some way of tracking the Arrancar." Tier answered before she pulled out a small device from her pocket.

The device was something Szayel had given her to track down the Arrancar that Dios Aizen wanted. It wasn't the most precise thing that Szayel had invented; only being able to track someone when the subject was using his/her energy in high concentrations, but it would have to be enough for now.

"This is going to take a while." Apache mumbled as she followed her Dama's example.

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Pesquisa (Inquiry): This technique functions like a Sonar, with the user's Reiatsu expanding outwards from him/her. While the user's Reiatsu travels forth, the user can see whatever his/her Reiatsu has traveled across. If the user's Reiatsu passes over another being, it will detect the race of the being, the amount of Reiatsu it has, and how powerful that being is.

2. L'essence de la nourriture (The Essence of Food): The Lunch Lady's essential power is that of to conjure, control, and manipulate anything that is related to food.

3. La viande clonée (Meat Clones): This is a technique that allows the Lunch Lady to create a humanoid creature out of 15 lbs. of meat. These creatures are capable of pulling themselves back together even after being cut down, which allows them to keep on fighting. The only sure-fire way to defeat the creatures is to either completely destroy the meat that makes them up or to suck out the energy that empowers them.

4. Viande le tsunami (Meat Tsunami): Using all of the meat she has gathered, the Lunch Lady can merge it all into an enormous wave. The power behind this attack is comparable to a regular Tsunami, though it is not as destructive. The Lunch Lady can also use this technique to spread meat across the battlefield for future attacks.

5. Danse de l'Spears Barbecue (Dance of the Barbeque Spears): Coating barbeque with a sharp outer shell of Ghost energy, which makes the barbeque into miniature little spears. These spears are capable of cutting through human flesh or pierce their way through a wall.

6. Déjeuner abomination (Lunch Abomination): The Lunch Lady's strongest and most powerful technique. It draws in all of the nearby food and kitchenware before it merges the stuff with her own body. With this technique, the Lunch Lady becomes five times as stronger than she usually is, though not as fast.

7. Purée de Livres Sismiques (Puree Seismic Slam): A basic technique in which the Lunch Lady grabs someone, moves them over her head, and then slams him/her to the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **And there you have it; the end of the introductory arc. Tell me how you liked it, ideas on how I could improve it, or just general reviews. Flames will be ignored, as always, while constructive criticism is welcomed.

P.S. If you review then you can get a Plushy of Danny, Tier Harribel, or any of Tier's three Fracción.

P.P.S. This chapter was updated as of 06/09/2012.


	6. Chapter Six:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Six:<p>

* * *

><p>(The Ghost Zone)<p>

Nicolai Technus smiled to himself as he watched the portal to the Human World begin to open. It appeared as if his newest calculations on when the portal would open were correct. After so many years of being trapped in the Ghost Zone he would finally be able to return to the Human World. The very thought caused Technus to frown slightly as his heart clenched due to the memories that the thought invoked.

For years, he had looked for a portal back into the Human World, with little to no success. Now though, thanks to the information the Lunch Lady had provided him before her unfortunate capture by Walker, he had found one. It was a stable portal even!

Of course, the portal had been closed when he had first found it but that was not a problem. With his keen intellect and mathematical genius, it had been child's play to figure out just when the portal would open next.

"As if something so primitive could've mystified me for so long." Technus stated in a light Russian accent before he scoffed. "Me, Technus the Master of all Science and Technology! Hah! I—"

Technus stopped mid-monologue when he sensed a brief flare of(Would it be Reitsu or something different since these are ghosts?)from behind him. He turned around only to see a barrage of silver rockets rushing towards him. Gritting his teeth, Technus released a mild beam of pure ectoplasm at the rockets which caused them to explode.

This wasn't the best idea that he ever had since the rockets released a massive, green-tinted explosion. Technus shielded himself from it with a basic shield which he then lowered once the worst of it had passed. Then, through the rapidly dissipating smoke, he got a good look at his sudden attacker.

It was a large Ghost with light-blue skin, green eyes, and flaming green hair that was done up in a Mohawk style. The Ghost was wearing a sleeveless black shirt, black pants, dark-gray gauntlets, and dark-gray skull-shaped boots. He also had a skull necklace around his neck and a piece of grey armor on his left shoulder. This was the self-proclaimed 'Best Hunter of the Ghost Zone', Skulker. Nicolai had dealt with this young upstart many times in the past but Skulker had always come back for more.

He didn't have time to deal with Skulker right now, not when the portal was just about to open. "What are you doing here, Skulker? I'd thought that a hip young 'Hunter' like you would be hunting those weaker than you. And, as of the last time we battled... I proved I'm still stronger than you."

"I've gotten an upgrade you sniveling little scientist." Skulker bit out before he grinned as he raised his hands, releasing a stream of tiny missiles from his fingers. "Prepare to become one of my trophies!"

Nicolai conjured a shield to block the missiles but grew surprised when the missiles didn't detonate against its surface. Instead, the missiles actually went through his shield as if it wasn't here. That could only mean that those missiles were from the Human World, but how could Skulker have gotten his hands on Human missiles?

'No matter.' Technus thought as he materialized a large computer-chip in his hand. He then threw the chip at one of the the missiles before it started to fly around on its own. He then watched as it quickly cut through each of the missles, causing them to detonate.

"You're too slow, Technus…" Skulker's voice said from behind him.

Nicolai spun around, only to come face-to-face with an invention that he himself had created. Or rather an invention that he had created as a Human before he had died and had become a Ghost. It was his Spirit-catching Lava-Lamp, both stylish and practical it had been one of his greatest creations. As a Human, he had invented it to catch spirits to use in his research on another project but unfortunately he had died before he had been able to completely finish it. It appeared that Skulker had finished it for him.

Nicolai attempted to resist the pull of the lamp but was unable to and for once in his un-life cursed the fact that he was so brilliant. Screaming in denial, he was slowly pulled into his own invention. Once he was fully inside, he glared at the seemingly giant-sized version of Skulker and pounded his fists against the glass.

"You can't keep me in here forever Skulker! And when I get out you better watch it!" Technus growled threateningly. "I'll kill you!"

Skulker scoffed at trapped scientist and then closed his eyes. In the next second, hundreds of silver Nanobots emerged from Skulker's skin and consumed Technus' prison. The Nanobots then merged back with Skulker's body, leaving no trace that the Lava Lamp had existed at all. Seconds later, Skulker opened his eyes as a predatory grin spread across his face. Now that he had the scientist, it would be that much easier to capture the Arrancar.

Perhaps if he caught the Arrancar fast enough, maybe he could hunt something else? Maybe a few endangered animals for his collection of furs? Yes, that sounded good.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Amity Park—The junkyard)

It had been two weeks since Danny had battled and ultimately defeated the Lunch Lady. While the threat had passed, Danny, Sam, and Tucker continue to meet at the junkyard for more training.

At the moment, the three teenagers could be found in a remote clearing within the junkyard. Danny was standing in the middle of the clearing while Sam and Tucker stood atop a pile of cars.

"Okay Danny… let's start off with that speed technique of yours." Sam said as she and Tucker each palmed a tennis ball.

During the battle with the Lunch Lady, Danny had discovered that he could also channel his energy into his legs and feet to increase his speed. Since this discovery, Danny had been learning how much energy he would need to put into the technique. He had found that once he passed a certain amount of energy, his speed wouldn't increase anymore. Furthermore, once he passed that limit, he would begin to waste energy needlessly.

That was why they were doing today's practice session, to learn control. Sam and Tucker would be throwing tennis balls up in the air he would have to catch them using his speed technique. The purpose of this exercise was to get use to the movement of the technique and learn it's limits.

"Let's do it." Danny said.

Tucker and Sam nodded before they quickly began to throw their tennis balls into the air. To make it more difficult, they were throwing the balls as far away from them as possible and in every direction possible. Following the balls with his eyes, Danny vanished within a blur of motion. He reappeared fifty feet from his original position where he then proceeded to grab a ball before he zoomed off towards another one. He kept up at this for what seemed like an eternity; running towards the ball, catching the ball, and repeat.

After five minutes of seeing the world as a blur, Danny finally stopped as Tucker and Sam had no more balls to throw. Danny panted heavily after he cancled the technique; though he had gotten better at the technique he still wasted a lot of his energy when he tried to use it continuously.

_'Chōkasoku.'_ A whispering voice said in his ear.

Danny's head whipped up at that strange voice, only to see nobody there. Even the use of his sonar technique, Pesquisa, revealed nothing. The only things that could talk within this clearing were him, Sam, Tucker and yet no one had said anything.

_'So where is that voice coming from then?'_

Unable to figure it out and unwilling to admit that he might be going crazy, Danny pushed his thoughts about the voice aside. He then turned to face Tucker and Sam, who didn't seem to have noticed anything abnormal.

"… I think we're done for the day. What do you guys think?" Danny asked his friends who were still on top of the car pile.

Sam looked down at him and crossed her arms, "I think that you need to get us down from these cars before we can continue this discussion."

Danny almost slapped himself in the forehead. How could he have forgotten? He then channeled some of his remaining energy into his feet before he actually stepped onto the air itself. When he had first used this ability during his battle against the Lunch Lady, Danny had used it instinctively. Since then he had put endless hours of training in to be able to use it without even thinking about it.

Danny took another step in the air before, like he was climbing a staircase, he began to walk up towards Sam. He offered his arm and then, when she took it, walked back down and let Sam go. He then repeated the process, except for Tucker instead of Sam.

As Danny downed his water, he couldn't help but remember how much Sam and Tucker had changed over the last two weeks.

XXXXXX

(Eleven days ago—Amity Park—The junkyard)

It had been three days since Danny's battle against the Lunch Lady, and the Amity Trio were currently meeting at their now official "hideout", the junkyard, to discuss what they were going to do. They needed to be prepared incase another Ghost like the Lunch Lady showed up.

"I don't know why you're so worried Danny." Tucker stated as he leaned back in a chair that they found. "I mean, what are the odds of another Ghost like the Lunch Lady showing up?"

"I don't think so. The Lunch Lady won't be the last Ghost we'll see, I'm sure of it." Sam responded, rummaging through her backpack to get something.

"Sam's right Tucker, the Lunch Lady said that she was one of the weakest Ghosts there was." Danny said, looking at his best friend. "If we want to stand a chance against any of the stronger Ghosts, then I'll have to master my powers."

"Actually Danny, I have some news about that. I did some research on those words you mentioned, and I've discovered a connection between them. They're all in Spanish." Tucker replied as he started typing in his P.D.A.

Danny and Sam exchanged a glance before they both turned to Tucker, their expressions demanding that the boy start explaining. Tucker laughed nervously at the look from his two friends, before he brought up a file on his P.D.A.

"F-first off, we have Pesquisa, which is Spanish for 'Inquiry'." Tucker stated nervously.

"That actually makes sense." Danny murmured. "I use it to find out about the world around me, which is kinda like an inquiry…"

"The next two seemed the most important ones, Arrancar and Hueco Mundo. Individually, they mean 'To Tear Off' and 'Hollow World'." Tucker explained.

"'To Tear Off'?" Sam said as a confused expression appeared on her face. "To tear off what?"

At Sam's words, Danny had a flashback of what happened to him during the Ghost Portal Accident. It was when he had turned on the Ghost Portal that something had poured out of his mouth and covered his face.

"Wait a minute… this doesn't make any sense. When I fought the Lunch Lady, all of her attacks were named in French, not Spanish. Why would they name their techniques in Spanish if their French?"

Tucker already had an answer ready, as he had thought that Danny would've asked this question. "That's what confused me too, until I thought of something… What if Hueco Mundo isn't where the Ghosts live? What if it's a completely different place with completely different inhabitants?"

"That… that makes sense. The more we learn about Ghosts, the more it seems like Danny isn't one of them." Sam said, looking over the evidence Tucker had presented.

"Hollow World… What does that mean exactly?" Danny asked, speaking up.

Tucker shifted his gaze from his P.D.A., to his friend, before he answered. "Well, a place is usually named after a specific trait of the land, or something around that, or… it is named after some of its inhabitants."

_'Hollow?'_ Danny thought, looking down as he did so. _'Is that what I am?'_

Sam could see the growing tension caused by Tucker's findings and decided to break it. "Well… on a separate note, I have an announcement to make." Sam said, before a small smirk appeared on her face. "I have decided that I'm going to learn how to fight."

That bit of news took Danny by surprise as he never thought that his ultra-hippie friend would ever put down her sign for a weapon.

"Why? I thought you were all about peaceful protests and picket signs." Danny responded, confusion clearly present in his voice.

Sam's demeanor seemed to do a 180 as she lowered her head before she looked away from her two friends. Where there was once a strong and confident young woman was a meek individual. Apparently, she considered that stack of tires she was staring at very appealing as she stared at the pile rather than her friends.

"When I was captured by the Lunch Lady, I was terrified… I felt so helpless… so powerless." Sam admitted as her eyes became wet. "I could do nothing… and the only reason I'm not dead, is because she didn't want to hurt me in the first place."

Danny felt guilty, and ashamed, as he remembered how he couldn't protect his friend from that deranged Ghost. He also felt guilty for bringing the subject up, causing Sam to remember the events of her kidnapping. The black-haired boy turned to glance at his friend Tucker, not knowing how to respond to Sam's statement, and found Tucker in the same situation. Even more so, considering that he was the one that got Sam kidnapped in the first place, by telling the Lunch Lady that she had changed the menu.

Three minutes passed in complete silence amongst the friends. After those three minutes, Sam pulled herself together and reverted back into her original "tough chick" personality. She then pulled out something from her backpack, which on closer inspection was a book.

"I know that I won't be any good at hand-to-hand combat, so I figured that I should train in weapons combat." Sam said.

Danny took a closer look at the book, glancing at the title, causing one of his eyebrows to rise in slight confusion. "How to Use Sharp Weapons" written and tested by Kosaka Shigure.

"I agree with Sam." Tucker stated, surprising everyone present. "If we are going to be up against things that are stronger than the Lunch Lady, then Sam and I are going to have to learn how to fight." Tucker then pulled out his own book from his backpack, before he presented it to his friends.

It was a book called "How to Smash Things with Maui Thai, Appa" written by someone called Apachai Hopachai.

XXXXXX

Ever since Tucker and Sam had begun their training, they had slowly, but surely, begun to change.

Tucker was beginning to develop callouses on his hands, knees, and elbows due to his long hours of training in the Maui Thai style. He was also slowly losing his baby-fat, causing his boyish features to begin to sharpen as time passed.

Sam had also begun to develop callouses on her hands, due to the wooden sword that she had recently bought. While she might not have learned any techniques yet, Sam was progressing at using a sword and utilizing the proper stances that her training manual described. In their spars, Danny used another wooden sword that Sam had bought, as he didn't want to cut his friend during a friendly spar. It was during these clashes of swords that Danny gained experience with a sword, and improved his own sword skills in order to keep up with Sam.

That was not to say that Danny's spars with Tucker weren't that difficult either. Tucker's Maui Thai fighting style proved its effectiveness as it dealt powerful, close-range attacks with his hands, elbows, and his knees. However, despite its close-range effectiveness, Tucker's Maui Thai didn't seem to affect Danny that much.

During their many spars against one another, Tucker had noticed that, even though he hit Danny would down any normal teenager, it felt as if he was hitting a brick wall. It was thanks to this "observation" that Danny had discovered that, while he was in his Arrancar form, he possessed almost unnaturally tough skin.

Tucker's discovery had also worked to his own advantage. Danny's tough skin helped him toughen up his hands, knees, and elbows so that they could deliver even more powerful attacks. He was even beginning to bruise Danny in his Arrancar form!

After Danny had finished both of his individual matches against Tucker and Sam, they would take a small, five minute break to catch their breath. When the break was over, Danny signaled Sam and Tucker to start the two-on-one fights that they usually held.

Danny had first thought of two-on-one matches so that he could gain experience fighting multiple opponents at once. It also allowed him to gain experience fighting with his sword, and his fists, at the same time. As today's spar began, Danny knew that he had to move quickly if he wanted to win this match. This thought was a testament to his friends growing fighting prowess, which was something that he didn't take lightly.

Right off the bat, Danny showed his newfound speed by dodging a strike from Sam's wooden sword before he spun around to kick Tucker in the stomach. The force of this attack sent Tucker flying towards a pile of broken-down cars, where he crashed with a loud "thump". He then pulled out his own wooden sword and engaged Sam in battle of blades.

Both swordsmen were equally matched, trading blow-for-blow and parry-for-parry. They could've continued on forever had Tucker not interfered, jumping off from a pile of cars before he brought his elbow down against Danny's head. The power behind Tucker's attack drove Danny to the ground, while Tucker jumped backwards. Sam then finished the spar by placing her wooden sword on the back of Danny's neck, "killing" him.

"Alright, you killed me." Danny stated jokingly, looking up at Sam. "Could you help me up now?"

Sam blushed a little bit before she nodded, removing her sword from Danny's throat, before she helped him up. He smiled at her before he congratulated them for a job well done. Sam and Tucker appreciated his words, but knew that, if Danny had used his powers, they wouldn't have stood a chance against him.

There was no time for chat though, as at that moment, Tucker's P.D.A. started to wail, causing all three teenagers to jump. A moment passed before Tucker turned off the alarm, before turning to his friends.

"… Time for school…"

XXXXXX

(Later—Amity Park—Casper High)

Life at Casper High had changed somewhat since the Lunch Lady's attack. For the first few days after the battle, everyone was jittery and scared that the Lunch Lady might return. However, once eight days had passed with no attacks, everyone seemed to return to normal.

Of course, thanks to the Lunch Lady's attack on the two rallies located on the football field, the PTA decided to reopen the discussion on the school's menu. The PTA decided to return the the old menu mostly intact, but add a side bar for Vegetarians. This way, everyone could be happy. Overall, it looked like things were starting to change for the better.

"FENTON!"

Unfortunately, some things stayed the same.

Danny groaned, not feeling up to deal with Dash right now. After he had dealt with the Lunch Lady, he and Tucker had been called to Mr. Lancer's office. There they were told of their punishment, three weeks of detention, which had made his already tight schedule even worse. This punishement had also seemed to inspire Dash as he had begun targeting him, Sam, and Tucker more often, no longer intimidated by 'the geek's' new skills in Karate.

"Can we skip this?" Danny asked as he looked up at Dash with a mild frown. "Just go bully somebody else, I have to get to my locker and get to class."

Oddly enough his statement seemed to make Dash even more eager than he already was, if his smirk was anything to go by."That's why I'm here Fenton. You see, Mr. Lancer told me to tell you that you're getting a new locker." Dash said as a smirk grew on his face.

"Which locker?"

Dash's smirk widened. "Locker #724."

Danny heard Sam and Tucker gasp behind him, and now understood why Dash seemed so happy. Locker #724 was something of an urban legend at Casper High, supposedly haunted by the spirit of a deceased nerd. Rumor had it that this nerd, Sidney Poindexter, was bullied all throughout high school . When Sidney had died, three days after he had graduated, it is said that his spirit now haunted his old locker.

Many people didn't believe this tale, as two well-known pranksters had started it, but strange things did happen around Locker #724. Books of all kinds would vanish once placed within the locker, along with the occasional school supplies. Other people who had been assigned this locker before reported about strange whispers they heard coming out of it at the most random of times. A student had even reported that she had seen a face in the mirror that hung inside Locker #724!

_'Now I see why Dash is in such a good mood.' _Danny thought with a frown. _'His favorite 'nerd' to pick on is being assigned to a locker haunted by another nerd.'_

"Have fun with your new locker Fenton." Dash said with a laugh as he walked away.

Danny merely sighed as he turned to his friends, but paused when he saw Sam. Her head was down, causing her bangs to obscure her face but the most frighteningly thing was that Danny could see her eyes. They seemed to glow within the shadows caused by her hair like darkened amethysts, even as her hands formed fists by her sides.

Tucker slowly backed away from Sam as if she was a ticking time-bomb, which wasn't that far off since it looked like she had an aura of visible flames around herself. It was then that Danny learned one of the most important lessons in life that a man can learn; never get a woman angry.

"Who does he think he is?" Sam hissed through gritted teeth.

"It's not that bad Sam…" Danny stated, drawing his friend's attention. "Those stories are rumors, so everything should be fine. So… why don't you calm down...?"

This seemed to have some effect on Sam as her "aura of flames" dissipated as she took a deep, relaxing breath. She muttered to herself about 'payback', before she turned around and offered to help Danny move his stuff to his new locker.

"S-sure…" Danny said.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker then went to Danny's old locker—Locker #245—and grabbed his stuff. The three then began making their way towards Danny's locker, each knowing they had ten minutes to waste before the warning bell rang.

XXXXXX

After a few minutes, the three teenagers found themselves looking at Danny's new locker, each with a look of disgust on their faces. Locker #724 obviously hadn't been used in the last few years as most of its face was covered in a layer of dust, and rust was growing around the edges of it.

Tucker tried to be optimistic, if only for the sake of Danny, as his friend now had to use the decrepit-looking locker before them. "Maybe it'll look better on the inside."

Danny nodded and opened the locker. He was immediately assaulted by a combination of dust and moths that flew out from the opened locker and into sweet, sweet freedom. Danny shut his eyes, coughing, for a couple of moments. Then, once he had recovered, he looked back up into the interior of his locker.

If anything, the inside of his new locker was worse than the outside; looking like something straight out from a horror movie. Spider-webs stretched all over the inside of the locker, complete with a set of spiders. A thick layer of dust covered everything that the spider-webs did not, some even falling out of the ground.

"Well… we have a little bit of time before class starts." Sam muttered, staring at the locker. "Maybe with a little elbow grease… and industrial-strength cleaner, we can get this locker shining like new."

"I doubt it." Tucker whispered, almost completely inaudible.

Danny and Sam chose to ignore Tucker's statement, before they got down to work. It took them four minutes, but in the end it looked a lot better than it had before. Together, they had managed to clear out all of the dust, the spider-webs, and the spiders.

"Well, it's certainly better than it was before..." Tucker said with a faint grin.

Sam nodded, "Yeah—"

"Hey Fenton! Nice locker you got there!"

Apparently Dash had rejoined the rest of the football team—his 'henchmen'—and had brought them to see Danny's new locker. They were probably going to play their favorite game, 'Bully the Nerd'. It appeared that today's 'contestants' would be Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Joy.

"Yeah, it's a good thing you and those two dweebs cleaned it out…" Kwan laughed before his eyes narrowed. "Since you're going into it!"

At that moment, Danny decided that retreat was the better part of valor and turned tail. Sam and Tucker were right behind him, matching him step for step. Dash and his henchmen followed a second later, frowning as they threatened the backs of their prey. However, due to their recent training, Danny, Sam, and Tucker soon outpaced and then ditched the football team.

The three teenagers did this by rounding a corner while they were 40 feet ahead of the football team, quickly opening the door to a nearby closet, and hiding inside of it. Then, once the footfalls of the football team faded away, they stuck their heads outside of the closet and made sure that the coast was clear. Once that was done they made their way towards Danny's new locker, as they had left their backpacks there.

"Those guys never let up!" Tucker exclaimed with an angry frown, throwing his hands into the air. "Even though we stay out of their way, do nothing towards them or their friends, and stay to ourselves, they still go after us!" He paused, looking down. "Sometimes I wish you would use your powers against them Danny… make them pay for what they do."

Danny merely sighed but didn't respond to Tucker right away. Instead he grabbed a paper towel that Sam had handed him and began to clean the mirror that had been mounted on the inside of Locker #724. "What do you think would happen if I did that Tucker?" Danny turned to Tucker, not noticing the mirror behind him was begining to glow. "Most of my powers are highly destructive so, if I use my powers against a normal person… I could seriously hurt them. I would be like Dash."

"Man that speech was so fly…"

Danny, Tucker, and Sam spun around, trying to find the source of the voice, only to find that no one was there. They tensed, each of them unconsciously slipping into their individual fighting stances, before they heard the voice speak again.

"Wait, you crazy cats! Don't flip your lids!"

The three teenagers spun around, only to see a pair of pale-gray hands emerging from the mirror in Danny's locker. These arms griped the edges of the locker as they tried to pull themselves out of the mirror. It only took about six, seven seconds before a pale-gray Ghost had pulled himself out of the mirror.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam stared at the Ghost before him. He looked like a stereotypical nerd, with a white shirt that was tucked into a pair of gray, plaid pants, and black dress shoes. He also had a pocket protector on his shirt, filled with a few pencils, and a pair of taped-up glasses.

"It's all groovy."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Fenton's Residence—The Lab)

Down in the lab of the Fenton Residence a new problem was about to reveal itself. Jack and Maddie Fenton were busy upstairs, forming new scenarios about what they would do when another Ghost would attack and wondering about that white-haired Ghost they had seen fighting it. It was because of this that they wouldn't witness the arrival of the 'Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter', Skulker.

After taking his first step into the Human World and looking around, Skulker looked down at the screen on his wrist. "Computer, scan area for Hollow and/or Arrancar energy signatures."

A small cloud of Nanobots rose up into the air from his arm and started flying around the basement. After a few moments, they flew up the stairs and into the living room. The Nanobots then travelled into all of the other rooms in the Fenton's home before they returned to the lab. They flew towards Skulker's wrist and merged back with the screen of Skulker's computer. All of this had taken twenty seconds.

"Hollow and/or Arrancar presence not detected." A high, feminine voice rang out from the computer. "Residue from male Arrancar's energy detected two rooms above, along with two faint, Hollow-like energy signatures."

"So this is the Arrancar's lair?" Skulker mused before a small, slasher-like smile appeared on his face. Perfect. I now know where my prey's habitat is, so I can observe his movements, and when the time is right…"

The computer on Skulker's right wrist was consumed by silver Nanobots that morphed Skulker's computer into a pair of steel claws. Skulker then proceeded to bring his claws down on a nearby table made of solid steel and cut it into three different pieces.

"The Arrancar's pelt will be mine."

* * *

><p>Poindexter's Encyclopedia:<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello everyone and welcome to Sidney's Encyclopedia." Sidney Poindexter greeted as he floated out onto the stage in a 1950's game show host's outfit. "Here I will try to answer any and all questions relating to Ghosts and the Ghost Zone."<p>

Sidney paused for a moment, "First off, we'll start with answering what makes a Ghost powerful." He then turned around before waving his left arm.

A huge, 30-by-30 foot television screen came into view as the purple velvet curtains hiding it were pulled aside by two minor Ghosts. The screen hummed to life before a picture of the Lunch Lady appeared on it.

"We Ghosts are made up of a special substance that is primarily found in the Ghost Zone." Sidney explained as another picture—this time of green goo—appeared on the television screen. "Without Ectoplasm, we Ghosts wouldn't be able to do anything or even exist. This is because Ectoplasm is one of the two main 'ingredients' that make us up." He paused. "Now, to determine how powerful a Ghost is, two factors need to be taken into consideration."

Sidney waved his hand at the screen again. The picture of the green goop faded away, replaced by a picture of a group of Ghosts. These Ghosts can in all sizes, shapes, and colors with a few Humanoid Ghosts scattered about.

"These factors are: how dense the Ectoplasm is in a Ghost and how well that Ghost can control its Ectoplasm. The denseness of a Ghost's Ectoplasm determines how much base power they have, but a Ghost with a denser Ectoplasm then another may not always win against a Ghost with thinner ectoplasm. The main strength of a ghost comes from its ability to manipulate its own ectoplasm."

Sidney paused to take in another breath before he continued. "This manipulation allows the Ghost to gain many amazing abilities such as invisibility, intangibility, and even flight. Eventually, when a Ghost gains enough experience at "Ecto-Manipulation", they can manipulate the very Ectoplasm of the Ghost Zone itself and bend it to their will."

With that, Sidney waved his arm at the television. The picture of the Ghosts faded and was replaced with a picture of the Lunch Lady, hands folded in front of her as she floated in mid-air.

"Now, onto our next topic: the Lunch Lady. The Lunch Lady's L'essence de la nourriture is her power which she gained after gaining total mastery over her Ectoplasm-ic makeup." Sidney began. "L'essence de la nourriture lets the Lunch Lady control all food and food-related objects, though she tends to use meat more than anything else." He paused. "As a 'weaker' Ghost, the Lunch Lady doesn't like to pick fights with other Ghosts, though she will if her menu is changed."

Sidney looked like he was about to continue when faint, 1950's style music to music to play. Turning around, he came face-to-face with Jack and Maddie Fenton. Both of them were carrying Ecto-Weapons and staring straight at him.

This was very bad.

Jack turned to his wife with a grin, "Maddie, it's a Ghost! Let's catch it!'

"WAAAAHHHHH!"

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

* * *

><p>1. <span>Chōkasoku (Super Acceleration)<span>: Chōkasoku is a technique in which an Arrancar channels their energy into their legs and feet in order to increase their speed. It is considered a rudimentary form of the Sonido.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **This chapter was updated as of 06/14/2012.


	7. Chapter Seven:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven:<p>

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—Casper High—Hallway)<p>

As Danny, Sam, and Tucker exited their shared Sixth Period class—American History—nearby doors opened before students began to pour out of classrooms. Meeting with their friends in the halls on the way outside to the buses, the students began to talk about what they would be doing this weekend.

Unfortunately, Danny wasn't feeling as excited as the rest of the school was, if the cloud of depression that hung over his head was anything to go by. Today he had realized that, being a Ghost Hunter, he didn't have that much time to study for school.

The long hours of training, and the occasional Ghost coming to raise havoc, his on-going Karate classes, and his recent detentions had taken up most of—if not all of—his free time. As a result of this, his grades had slowly dropped in quality. In fact, if he didn't get an A on his next History project, he would probably flunk American History.

"What are we going to do about him Danny?" Tucker whispered, snapping Danny out of his momentary funk. "We can't just leave him there… what if somebody finds him?"

Danny sighed. He and his friends knew that they couldn't leave that Ghost there, especially with his hatred of bullies.

XXXXXX

(Earlier—Casper High—Hallway near Locker #724)

"It's all groovy."

Danny's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Ghost, numerous cracks quickly racing over his skin, before his skin peeled off and turned into silver ash. The Ghost took a step back in confusion as the ash converged on and consumed Danny in a silver cyclone.

However, seconds later, something shot out of the cyclone and towards the Ghost. Danny's hand slammed against the Ghost's throat as the impact threw them back, where Danny proceeded to slam the Ghost against a locker.

"Gah!"

"Now tell me…" Danny began with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What is your reason for being here?" He increased his pressure slightly. "Did you come to cause havoc like the others?"

"N-No! I h-hate bullies! I didn't d-do anything!" The Ghost choked out fearfully, hands clawing at the one that threatened to crush his windpipe. "Let… go! I-I can't… breathe!"

Sam stepped forward, right eyebrow raised dubiously. "Why should he? Ever since you Ghosts have started to show up, it's caused us—Danny especially." She crossed her arms. "So why should we just let you go?"

"I-I…" Tears pooled in the edges of the Ghost's eyes as he struggled to breathe. "I can't…" At the end of his rope, the Ghost finally lost his temper. "Document de maître (Master Document)!"

Paper literally exploded out from the Ghost's body, the shockwave being enough to send Danny tumbling back a few feet. He barely got the chance to look out before a giant fist, made out of paper, punched him into a nearby wall.

"Danny!"

The Ghost rubbed his teary eyes, "I asked you to leave me alone but no…" He glared up with glowing eyes. "You had to be a bully!"

Seconds later, Danny appeared above the Ghost with his sword drawn. Swinging it downwards, he managed to cut through a few of the paper sheets that protected the Ghost, only to stop when it was one-fourth the way through them.

Danny didn't have any time to wonder why his sword hadn't gone all the way through, however, as he was punched away by another fist of paper.

"I was picked on my entire life and afterlife because of bullies like you! Document de armes (Paper Weapons)!"

Danny got up from the ground again, wiping the blood that had trickled from the end of his mouth, and looked up. His eyes widened when he saw a dozen 10 foot-long spears made out of paper rocketing towards him.

While he knew that he could avoid those spears—even more so with Chōkasoku—but, when he tried to move, found himself unable. He looked down to see that there was paper encircling his feet and legs, binding them to the floor.

"I've learned a thing or two since I've died…" The Ghost stated with a sad look in his eyes before they narrowed. "Piège papier (Paper Trap) was designed to hold down bullies like you."

"NO!"

From Danny's perspective, Sam seemed to vanish from where she had been standing only to reappear five feet in front of him. He didn't have the time to question how she moved so fast, or why, before Sam reacted.

Sometime during the brief seconds when Sam had disappeared, she had removed her wooden sword from her backpack. She was now using it to block the Ghost paper spears.

Time seemed to slow down as the spears Sam couldn't block moved closer and closer to her body. If Sam had thought about what happened, she would've thought about how odd it was that her wooden sword stood a chance at all. She would've realized that what she was doing was insane and suicidal.

The problem was that all Sam could think about was protecting Danny.

In a blur of movement, Sam took a step backward before she swung her sword towards the spears. The bladeless weapon somehow cut through the paper, cutting them in half, before the spears unraveled into hundreds of paper sheets. Stunned at what she had just done, Sam lowered her weapon, never noticing that her weapon was glowing a faint, teal-like color.

"That is enough!"

Danny, Sam, and the Ghost paused in their impromptu battle before they turned towards the source of the voice; Tucker Foley. Seeing the emotions on their friend's face, Sam and Danny flinched. This wasn't going to go down well.

Having calmed down, the Ghost allowed his paper to dissipate into thin air before he turned to look at the Human teenager.

"I know that we haven't the best track record with Ghosts so far, but that doesn't mean that we should attack and threaten any Ghost that happens to appear Danny! He just wanted to talk to us!" Tucker shouted angrily.

There came a moment of silence before Tucker took in a deep breath, schooled his features, and turned back to the Ghost. "I'm sorry for my friends' reactions to you. It's just that… every time a Ghost shows up, they've tried to cause as much damage as they could."

"… I understand." The Ghost sighed. "From what you say, Ghosts have bullied you cats and caused a lot of trouble…" He looked up. "But, could you at least give us a chance to talk before attacking us?"

Tucker nodded, which caused the Ghost to relax somewhat. Seeing this, Danny felt ashamed and embarrassed over his actions. He could have avoided all of this if he had given the Ghost a benefit of a doubt and actually talked to him—like he had talked to the Lunch Lady.

"I'm really, really sorry about that…" Danny said, looking down as he rubbed the back of his head. "But, it's like you said; Ghosts have 'bullied' us in all our previous encounters." He paused. "Do you think we can try and pretend this never happened?"

The Ghost looked at Danny for a moment, considering it, before he nodded slightly. Danny tried to smile before he extended his hand towards the Ghost somewhat awkwardly.

"My name is Danny Fenton and these are my friends; Sam Manson—" Sam looked up. "—and Tucker Foley." Tucker nodded.

The Ghost looked at them all for a moment before he grasped Danny's hand, "I'm Sidney Poindexter. It's nice to meet you."

"_The_ Sidney Poindexter?" Tucker asked.

"Yes."

Before Tucker could react to the knowledge that the Ghost was indeed Sidney Poindexter, the warning bell rang over the intercom. Startled, Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked at each other for a couple of moments and then paled.

"That was the five minute warning bell… If we don't hurry, we'll be late and then Lancer will be on our cases again." Tucker stated grimly.

Danny grimaced before he turned to Sidney, "Sorry, but we need to get to class. Can we talk to you after class?"

"No problem sweet cats…" Sidney said before he forced a smile on his face. "I'll be here."

Then, before any of the three teenagers could respond, Sidney turned back towards the mirror in Locker #724. Gripping the edges of the locker, he lowered his head and pushed his head against the glass. He soon began to sink into the glass as if it was water.

XXXXXX

(Presently—Amity Park—Near the Main Building)

"Come on." Tucker whispered as he peaked his head past a wall, looking in to the parking lot. "Lancer just left in his car... how can he afford that thing anyway? I thought that teachers didn't—"

Danny and Sam each grabbed one of Tucker's shoulders before they pulled him back, hissing for him to be quiet. Tucker looked at them both for a minute, confused, before he smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry…"

"Let's just get this done, okay?" Danny asked. He looked at his watch. "I have to be home by 4:30..."

Sam and Tucker both nodded. Danny gave them a strained smile before, waiting for the right moment, he leapt out of his hiding spot with his friends hot at his heels. They ran towards the front entrance to their school as stealthily as they could before they silently opened the door. Once the door was opened the trio entered their school and swiftly shut the door behind them.

_'I never thought that I would sneak _into_ school.'_ Danny thought with a small hint of humor.

The three teenagers quickly made their way towards Danny's locker, stopping only when they thought one of the custodial staff was near. There was a couple of close calls here and there, but, otherwise, they didn't run into any trouble.

When they made it to the locker, Danny quickly opened it and looked at the mirror. "Sidney? Are you there?"

The surface of Locker #724's mirror rippled, a green glow encasing it, before one of Sidney's hands shot out of it. His hands grasped the edge of the locker as Danny backed away, before Sidney began to pull himself out of his mirror. When Sidney was out of the mirror, he smiled at them, only for Tucker to frown.

"How did you get so many bruises?" Tucker questioned Sydney.

Tucker's question caused Danny and Sam to look at Sidney. Hours ago, when they had first seen him, he had appeared perfectly healthy, well-groomed, and ready to learn. Now Sidney possessed numerous, dark-gray bruises that ran up and down his arms while his taped-up glasses appeared to have been broken. His clothes were untidy, as if someone had messed with them, while water dripped from his short black hair.

"N-Nowhere! I-I just t-tripped down the stairs…" Sidney lied, looking down. "That's h-how I got them…"

"Then why is your hair wet?" Tucker countered, before his tone softened. "You can tell us if anything happened to you Sidney…"

Sidney froze, but not in fright. He looked at all three teenagers a couple of moments, as if searching for something. After a minute, Sidney averted his gaze from the three and turned towards the mirror. He then looked towards the ground before he took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I wasn't lying when I said I've been bullied in both my life _and_ my afterlife..." Sidney said. "After I d-died... I woke up back in my high school... I didn't know how I had gotten there but... I wanted out... Sometimes, I managed to get o-out... But something always pulled me back. Back to _them..."_

Sidney then began to explain the stories about him were true; he was bullied throughout his entire high school career. He also explained how, after his death, the bullying continued and grew worse and worse as time progressed. It didn't matter how he tried to run, where he hid, or if he told a teacher; nothing changed.

Sidney wiped his eyes, "... 'Jessica wouldn't do that Sidney.'' He said in a mockery of his former teacher's voice. "'You must be mistaken'..."

"Why didn't you use your powers?" Sam weakly asked.

Sidney laughed at the question. However, this wasn't any ordinary laugh; this laugh was composed of Sidney's bitterness, his pain, and his sorrow. The very sound of it made the Amity Trio's hearts clench, even as fresh tears started to form in Sidney's eyes.

"I can't _use_ my powers in there! It's just like when I was H-Human—I was powerless in life and now I'm powerless in death!".

The full weight of Sidney's statement hit Danny, Sam, and Tucker right then. Sidney had been bullied in both life and death, but today's bullying appeared to be the "straw that broke the camel's back". Sidney attempted to control himself, only to freeze when he heard footsteps. He looked up to see Tucker, Sam, and Danny approaching him, before he felt a pair of slim arms wrap around his shoulders.

"It's okay Sidney." Sam whispered, rubbing his back.

Sidney cryed. Tears flowed from his eyes like twin rivers, only to dissipate before they hit the floor. He cried about the injustices of his life—and his afterlife—holding Sam close to himself as he finally vented. He didn't even notice when Tucker and Danny joined in on the hug, attempting to comfort him.

XXXXXX

(Later—Amity Park—Fenton residence)

After Sidney had finished crying, Tucker offered him a chance to stay at his house for a little while. Sidney had agreed, not wanting to go back into his mirror, before they left the school.

On his way home, Danny contemplated the events of the day. While he may not have experienced the same level of pain as Sidney had, his own experiences with Dash and the football team came to his mind. All the years of abuse and anguish continued to play over and over again in his head, and the pain of his memories were sapping his emotions away. Danny never noticed the slightest bit of ice forming over the tips of his fingers, growing ever colder as more painful memories played behind his eyes.

Then, like the rising sun warming the Earth, memories of Sam and Tucker flew through his mind. Memories of Sam and Tucker standing by his side, helping him up when Dash pushed him down, and all the times they hung out with each other. He remembered his parents holding him close when he was little, comforting him after a nightmare he had. He remembered laughing with his sister, playing with her, and reading with her as their parents were in the lab.

Danny was so lost in his memories that he was surprised to find himself standing on the steps of his home. He looked at the door for a moment before he reached into his pocket for his key and, after opening the door, he walked inside.

He made his way towards the living room, where he could hear his parents chattering. He barely noticed his backpack sliding off of his shoulders, hitting the ground with a 'thump', as he walked into the living room and saw his family. His father was making some exaggerated hand signs to his mother while Jazz tried to ignore him with the help of her book. Danny merely stood there for a while, simply watching like his family, before his father finally took notice of him.

"Hey Dan-O, why are you just standing there?" Jack asked, waving his son forward. "Come join us."

Danny stood there for a few seconds longer, his hair obscuring his eyes, before he started walking forward. Jack's confusion about his son's odd behavior showed on his face before it morphed into surprise. His son had wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him as hard as he could. After a moment, Jack hugged back, just holding his son.

"Dad, Mom, Jazz… I just wanted you guys to know that… I love you." Danny murmured.

Jack's surprise melted away, being replaced by a soft, caring visage. He hugged his son tighter, feeling that his wife and daughter joined into the family hug.

"We know son, we know."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Fenton residence—The lab)

Skulker watched his prey hug his family through one of his many security cameras that he had placed throughout the house. The touching family scene was starting to unearth his memories of his human life.

The strongest of all of his memories was of a small, dark-haired boy wearing an over-sized safari hat and an impossibly wide grin. The boy had a few missing teeth, but that only seemed to make him look more adorable. _'Daddy, one day I'm going to be a great Hunter! I'm going to be the bestest one ever, just like you Daddy!'_

Skulker shook his head, dispelling the wayward memory, but he didn't stop watching his prey's interaction with his family. Once it was finished, he sighed before speaking up.

"Computer… erase all footage collected from Cameras 1-A through 1-D today."

Silver, sand-like particles flew from Skulker's body and into the house. They travelled up the stairs of the basement, through the hallways, before attaching itself to the well-hidden security cameras that Skulker had mentioned. Once the sand-like particles had erased the footage, they flew back towards the lab before they merged back with Skulker's body armor.

"Recordings… deleted."

Skulker didn't bother to respond. Instead he turned intangible before he flew out of his prey's residence, towards a nearby roof, before he just stared at the setting sun.

XXXXXX

(Later—Amity Park—The junkyard)

Bright and early the next morning, Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Sidney met in near their 'training grounds' in the junkyard. Speaking of Sidney, he looked much better than he had the night before; his clothes had been fixes, his hair was combed, and he had been given a new pair of glasses by Tucker.

Since it was saturday, none of them had to worry about being late for school, which gave them plenty of time to question Sidney. It was Tucker, who was on the best terms with Sidney, that decided to broach the topic with him. "Hey, Sidney... there are a few things we would like to ask you, if that's okay with you."

Sidney's formerly glum expression brightened slightly. In the past, he had been sought out by his classmates for information or 'help' on their homework when they weren't bullying him. Tucker and his friends, however, were asking him for information instead of demanding it.

"No problemo."

Sam spoke up first with the first of the questions she, Tucker, and Danny had come up with after they had met Sidney. "Sidney, what exactly is a Ghost?"

Sidney's face took on a brief, contemplentive look before he snapped his fingers. He then floate over towards the white boards that Tucker had bought last week and grabbed one of the dry erase markers. Uncapping it, he then sketched a few pictures, which he would be using in his explanation. A couple of minutes passed before Sidney floated off to the side, capping the marker in his hand, and revealed the pictures he had just finished.

The level of detail in Sidney's work was simply amazing, looking as if a professional artist had drawn them. Danny, Sam, and Tucker turned towards Sidney, each wondering the same did he learn to draw so well?

Sidney pointed at the drawing of a man with the wings of an angel, baring no face. Around this faceless angel were four different colored circles, each with a detailed landscape inside of them.

One circle was colored blue and had what looked like an old-fashioned town with shadowy people inside of it. The next circle was a dark red color, with a hellish looking landscape made out of towers of fire and rivers of molten lava. The third was circled an almost neon-green, its landscape an odd mix of black and green, with a few floating islands doting the horizon. The fourth and final circle was colored black with a desert of endless, white-colored sand and a full moon in the sky.

For some reason, that final circle drew Danny's attention. He felt a sense of familiarity, and felt as if he should have known what that final circle represented.

"The first thing you guys have got to understand is what happens to a person's soul when he or she dies." Sidney said before he gestured towards the green circle. "As the soul 'passes on', the memories of the soul flow into the Ghost Zone. There, it merges with Ectoplasm." Seeing their confused looks, Sidney decided to elaborate a bit more. "Ectoplasm is a substance unique to the Ghost Zone, which is made out of Ectoplasm. It is attracted to emotions such as anger, joy, happiness, sadness, and jealousy—which the memories of the soul creates."

Sam was confused. While she could understandd that there were four different "after lives", she couldn't really understand how memories could form emotions. Didn't a part of the human brain do that? "Wait... how can memories form emotions?"

"The memories have a copy of the soul that created them and, in the Ghost Zone, those memories are enfused with enough Reiatsu—Spiritual Energy—to give the memories 'life'. Now 'alive' the memories will begin to produce emotions which will then draw nearby Ectoplasm towards them... kinda like gravity, in a way."

Sidney then gestured to a picture of a tall, humanoid Ghost with blood-red eyes. This Ghost was wearing black shirt, black pants, and wore a blood-red cape. He also wore what looked to be a flaming crown, silver boots, and a belt with a skull-and-crossbones buckle. Behind this Ghost was a large, rounded doorway that appeared to be made out of marble. It had a series of intricate designs on it, depicting different regions of the Earth, and a scribble of foreign language at the top of it.

"Once a Ghost has been formed, it subconsciously uses its control over Ectoplasm to create its own 'Lair'. This Lair is unique to each and every Ghost and will have a special signifigance to it and be as large as the Ghost wishes it to be..." Sidney explained before he pointed to the drawing of the red-eyed Ghost and the marble archway. "That is what the Ghost King, Pariah Dark, and the entrance to his Lair are supposed to look like."

This tidbit of information both startled and intrigued the three teenagers. "The Ghost Zone has a ruler?"

"No, it doesn't. Well, it did... a long time ago." Sidney answered. "When I got out of the school and before I was d-dragged back, I only heard a few mentions of him. Something happened to him and then he disappeared, leaving the Ghost Zone without a ruler. I mean, I've heard that Ghosts have tried to take over as King but... they were never able to take his throne."

"Do you know what happened to the Ghost King, Sidney?" Sam asked, curious.

Sidney looked away, "Well... I don't know the specifics about what happened... but I do know what Ghosts now-a-days think what happened..." He frowned. "But, to understand what happened, you cats need to know about the other three realms first." He took a breath. "Each realm is host to a different 'breed, if you will, of spiritual beings and are ruled by beings with a vast amount of power that dwarfs even the strongest of that realm's 'breed'."

"The blue realm is host to beings who help facilitate the flow of souls into the separate realms, and they are ruled by a being known as 'The Soul King'." Sidney explained informatively. "The black realm is for souls that have lost themselves to their sadness or anger, and have some sort of 'mask' covering their faces. They have three rulers; the Three Hollow Lords; Baraggan Louisenbairn the 'Time Lord', Gilgamesh Dissidia the 'Master of Dimensions', and Alexander Fantasma the 'Energy Sage'. Then there's the green realm, the Ghost Zone."

Sidney pointed at the red circle. "The red realm is where Hell is located. This is where the souls of the damned go. Here the souls of people who commit sins in their life go to be punished for their actions. No one knows the leader's name but everyone refers to him as The First." He paused. "The Ghost Zone, as I have said, is where the forgotten memories go to and become Ghosts. It used to be ruled by the Ghost King, Pariah Dark."

"Many years ago the fours realms used to live in balance with each other, no one realm had the power to fight the others. That is until the Realm War; The First desired the other realms for himself so he released the forces of hell onto the Human World. The other three realms formed a truce and fought against the forces of Hell. Eventually the Soul King and Alexander fought The First and defeated him in battle. For a while after that it seemed as though a lasting was formed between the three other realms but this was a lie."

Sidney drew a picture of three different armies fighting against each other. "Then not even a year later the three realms declared war on each other for some unknown reason. The three realms went to battle with each other with all of their forces. The war was said to have lasted for decades until the unthinkable had occurred. All of the masters of the realms were defeated; two of the Three Hollow Lords were slain while the third was crippled by his own power and arrogance. The Soul King retreated to his own dimension. Finally, King Pariah disappeard. Like I said, because I wasn't around during therule, I'm not sure of many of the details."

Danny, Sam, and Tucker sat there in silence for a few minutes, each of them trying to absorb the large amount of information Sidney had given them. Their preconceptions of the afterlife had been shattered by what they just learned, and frankly the idea of a war between three separate realms of the afterlife sounded like it came from some biblical nightmare.

Unfortunately it wasn't over yet; Danny had one more question for Poindexter that had been plaguing him ever since he had come out of the Ghost Portal. "Sidney I have another question for you." Sidney turned. "What am I?"

"You're an Arrancar." Sidney said. Then, seeing the eager expressions on their faces, he continued. "Arrancar are what the Spiritual Beings in the black realm can become after they have torn off their 'mask'. I know this becuase... I m-met one before..." Sidney looked down. "It was the most frightening experience in my afterlife and the r-reason I believed Arrancar were a bunch of bullies..."

Danny looked up at Sidney, not sure if he wanted the Ghost to continue or not. He remembered back to fight, how Sidney's eyes had widened at the sight of his Arrancar form. Sidney must've remembered the other Arrancar he had fought when he saw him. "Sidney—"

"It happened one of the times I had managed to get out of the school... I put too much energy into the mirror and it propelled me far away from Casper High... I woke up in a park and the air _twisted_ and h-he appeared..." Sidney took a shuddering breath. "I tried to fight him off but he... he was too powerful for me. He started... started to _hurt_ me...!"

At this point, pearly white tears had begun to fall from Sidney's eyes. He was caught up in his memory over what had happened and now unable to stop, even if had wanted to. Seeing this, Tucker got up and rushed over to help Sidney out. Not a moment later, Danny and Sam got up and went to help as well.

"After a while, he g-got _bored_ and suddenly t-transformed into this _t-thing_! I couldn't keep up at all and he kept _hurting_ me! No matter what I did, he somehow got past it and swung his scythes at me..." He palmed his face with his hands, holding back a wail. "There was b-blood _everywhere!_"

Sam wrapped her arms around Sidney while Danny and Tucker patted his back.

"I-I finally got away after he stopped and ran... H-He followed, yelling at me... I turned int-intangible and kept running u-until I couldn't run anymore." Sidney recanted. "When I next w-woke up, I was back in my school... they were waiting for me..."

At that point, Sidney stopped talking as his repressed emotions overwhelmed him. He clung to the comfort the three teenagers were providing him, feeling that, if he let go, he would be lost forever.

"P-please…! Please don't send me back t-there! I… I can't…! I w-won't!"

Danny let go of Sidney, ignoring the Ghost's whimper, before he walked over to his forgotten backpack. He bent down, opened it, and rummaged in it for a moment. He then stood up, the pilfered mirror of Locker #724 under his arm, and walked out of the shed.

When he was outside , Danny transformed into his Arrancar form. He then proceeded to throw the mirror as high as he could, already charging his only offensive attack. As the mirror began to fall towards the earth, Danny released his technique. His sphere of ice-blue energy transformed into a large, blue beam that flew towards the mirror.

'_Cero.'_

When the ice-blue energy beam hit the mirror of Locker 724, time seemed to slow down. Faint cracks appeared on the mirror, the frame around the mirror vaporized, before the mirror exploded into millions of tiny pieces.

* * *

><p>Omake #1: Why it is taking Tier so long to Find Danny;<p>

* * *

><p>(California—Anaheim—Disneyland)<p>

"AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!" Apacci yelled. "What are we doing here?"

Apparently, all of the family fun and togetherness were beginning to grate on the dark blue-haired Arrancar. This was supported by the fact her eyes were twitching, and she was gripping her Zanpakuto tightly.

It had been one week since they had entered the Human World, and the first place they had travelled to was the sugary-sweet theme park known as Disneyland. Everything here seemed to get Apache angry, and want to kill something.

"Well, if you bothered to remember, then you would recall that we are on a mission to find an unknown Arrancar." Mila Rose answered in a chiding tone, eating some cotton candy.

"Shut up Mila Rose." Apacci responded.

Sung-Sun came up behind her two comrades, holding a Goofy doll close to her chest. "My, my… I would've thought that you would enjoy this place… since you act like a child all the time."

"Dama Harribel, shouldn't we go…" Apacci asked, ignoring Sung-Sun's jibe. "I mean, it's obvious that we're the… only… Arrancar… here...?"

Apacci trailed off when she saw her commanding officer standing there, with a pair of Mickey Mouse ears on top of her head. She was also wearing a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, gloves, and blue shorts.

"We need to be through Apacci. So… I think we need to spend another six hours here…" Tier put a finger onto her chin. "Or until the fireworks parade ends…"

Apacci dropped to the ground, crying anime tears as her beloved commander went off to go get her picture taken with Tinkerbelle and Peter Pan.

"CURSE YOU WALT DISNEY!"

* * *

><p>Poindexter's Encyclopedia:<p>

* * *

><p>Sidney Poindexter walked into the room, followed by a middle-aged Ghost wearing a long purple cloak.<p>

"Hello everyone and welcome to today's episode of 'Poindexter's Encyclopedia'! I'm here with my very special guest Clockwork, the fabled 'Ghost of Time'." Sidney said as cheers erupted from the audience. "He is going to help me as we talk about our current subject; the Rulers of the Realms."

The blue-skinned Ghost, Clockwork, smiled at Sidney before he turned back towards the audience. As he did this, he shifted into his child form.

"Thank you Sidney, it's an honor to be here. Anyways, these are the Rulers of the Realms." Clockwork said, gesturing towards the projectors.

An image of Pariah Dark, the Ghost King, appeared on one projector. He was sitting on an elegant, white throne made from the purest marble. A hundred different, ancient-looking Ghosts were standing nearby to their king, looking at him with warm expressions on their faces

On another projector were three figures each wearing a raggedy cloak of some kind; one was wearing the cloak like royal garments and what looked like a crown upon his head. Next to that one was a massive being easily fifteen feet tall with multiple arms that were gripping it's cloak to itself. The final figure on the screen was much smaller than the other two, only the size of a full grown man. This figure was sitting in a relaxed position with his legs crossed and his chin leaning on his hand with it's cloak draped over it's shoulders.

The next screen showed a person that was engulfed in flames but didn't seem to be in any pain. The figure wore a deep crimson red jacket that obscured his entire body from view. He wore a white crown slash mask that resembled the flame of a roaring inferno. The mask had no mouth but in the place of eyes were two Jets that were as black as the starless sky. The figure wore a pair of wicked looking clawed gauntlets that were dripping with blood. Looped around the man's neck and down his attached to his claws was a brilliant golden chain that had ancient etchings drawn onto them. The ends of the chains were shattered and hung uselessly on the figure's body. Finally the man had a black and red medieval padlock attached to the chains that were just below his neck.

The fourth and final screen showed the outline of a man. Looking closer, one could tell that he was wearing a black cloak with a red interior while he held a nodachi in his hands. The only other noticeable thing about him was the scowl on the man's face.

"These are the six Rulers of the Realms. Each of them were the rulers of their own worlds, with Pariah Dark being the Ghost King." Clockwork said as he stood looking at the image of Pariah Dark.

"Pariah was the light in a time of darkness… He was kind to everyone he met, a brilliant strategist, and knew how to win people over…" Clockwork said, before he changed into his adult form. "He used these skills to establish a government in the Ghost Zone, and he was chosen by the Observants to become king…" Clockwork then turned his attention to the projection with the tree figures.

"Baraggan Louisenbairn, Gilgamesh Dissidia, and Alexander Fantasma were the three Hollow Lords. Each of them ruled over a third of Hueco Mundo; Baraggan ruled the earth, Gilgamesh ruled over the skies, and Alexander ruled over the oceans. Together they created an empire where the souls of the lost could live together in happiness and peace." Then clockwork looked at the figure bathed in fire with a scowl on his face.

"The First, as his name had been lost to time, was the ruler of the Hell Dimension. Once upon a time The First was one of the closest companions of the Soul King, until his greed got the better of him. He tried to kill the Soul King and take his kingdom for himself but he was swiftly defeated in battle. Unable to kill his former friend the Soul King could not deliver the final strike so he did the next best thing. He sealed The First away into an alternate dimension. Eventually though, The First broke the chains that bound him and recreated the dimension into his own image. It became a place where all sinners go to be punished." Then Clockwork turned his attention to the final screen.

"The Soul King was the man who created a system to help keep the balance, and make sure that souls got to the afterlife. He taught other souls how to use spiritual energy so that the balance could be maintained and they could protect what was important to them."

At this point, Clockwork paused. His features became sad and he looked away from the audience, shifting into an old man as the anger in his voice was easily heard.

"Eventually The First made his return to the World of the Living with his armies to seize control of all the realms. The other three realms banded together and defeated The First, sealing him away into his own dimension." It was here that Clockworks tone became heavy with sorrow. "Then for reasons unknown, the Rulers of the Realm went to war against each other. This war eventually led to the fall of Pariah Dark, the slaying of two Hollow Lords while the third became insane, and the retreat of the Soul King…"

"LOOK MADDIE! ANOTHER GHOST!

'_Wha—' _Clockwork thought, before he was wacked in the back of the head.

"Thanks for distracting him honey." Maddie said, standing behind Clockwork with a frying pan. "It really helped." She pulled out a cookie. "Now, have a cookie."

* * *

><p>Techniques:<p>

* * *

><p>1.<span> Document de maître (Master Document)<span>: Sidney Poindexter's power. It allows him to control all forms of paper as well as create paper out of his own Reaitsu.

2. Document de armes (Paper Weapons): Using his Document de maître, Sidney is able to shape paper into a variety of different weapons. If coated with his Reiatsu, these weapons are capable of cutting through steel.

3. Piège papier (Paper Trap): Using his Document de maître, Sidney can create paper that will 'crawl' over to an opponent before it will wrap around his/her legs and feet. As more time passes, the paper will travel upwards, further restraining the target.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **This chapter was updated as of 6/16/2012.


	8. Chapter Eight:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight:<p>

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—The junkyard)<p>

As Locker #724's mirror fell towards the earth, Danny released his hold on his laser-like attack. Once released, the ice-blue sphere surged forward and widened until it was a beam of pure energy. Then, as the beam approached the falling mirror, a familiar voice whispered into Danny's ear, 'Cero.'

Danny's eyes widened at the voice but he didn't have any time to question where it came from. He couldn't because, only seconds later, his energy beam—his 'Cero'—hit the mirror. For him, time seemed to slow down as he watched his Cero consume the mirror.

Instead of vaporizing the mirror completely, as he had thought it would do, the mirror developed a green outline and glow as Ghost energy surged from it. This energy was somehow able to hold back his Cero, which was weakening by the second. Frowning, Danny quickly charged up and released another Cero, whereupon his Cero's attack power was doubled as his second Cero merged with his first.

In the next few seconds, faint cracks began to appear on the surface of the mirror as the Ghost energy around the mirror began to waver. Soon enough, it appeared as if somehow had carved an intricate, spider web-like pattern onto the surface of mirror while the glow had almost vanished. The ornate frame of the mirror soon burst into white-hot flames that consumed it, the carved glass being the only thing left of the mirror. An enormous 'snap' was heard as the glow around the mirror finally vanished.

Now that that glow had vanished, Danny's Cero was finally able to surge forward and consume the mirror. However, while it did vaporize most of the mirror, some shards of the mirror were able to escape the attack. These shards then fell towards the ground like millions of silver raindrops, making a faint 'tinkling' sound as they hit the ground.

XXXXXX

(Earlier—With Sam, Tucker, and Sidney)

Once Danny had left the toolshed, Tucker had shared a worried glance with Sam. After what they had learned from Sidney, they didn't know what their friend was going to do. And, while they both wanted to go and help Danny, they also didn't want to leave Sidney alone. They had to convince Sidney to come with them.

After they had convinced Sidney to come with them, they had gone outside only to discover Danny—in his Arrancar form—shooting an ice-blue energy-beam at a mirror. Looks of understanding appeared on their faces as they figured out what Danny was doing, only to grow confused when his attack didn't instantly destroy the mirror. That confusion only grew when they saw the mirror seemingly resisting his technique enough that it had begun to dissipate.

Danny also seemed to notice this before he fired a second attack at the mirror. While the mirror still resisted the attack, the power behind it started to erode its 'shield'. Cracks appeared on the mirror's surface before it began to burn, whereupon the 'shield' finally broke seconds later. Once that had happened, Danny's technique was able to surge forth and consume the mirror, destroying it once and for all.

As the shards rained down around him and the others, an unexplainable and unknown emotion began to well up in Sidney's chest. His vision blurred as a wave of pure, unadulterated relief washed through him, making him go weak in the knees.

For the first time, Sidney felt unburdened and free. Without that mirror to pull him back into his old school, he would be able to go wherever he wanted. He could do whatever he wanted. After a moment, he shook his head; he couldn't do whatever he wanted, though he could still do a lot of things that he had always wanted to do.

The possibilities were endless.

It was only a few seconds later that Sidney's eyes widened with realization as his mouth opened slightly. He recognized that light emotion in his chest now; it was hope. He had hope that now, since the mirror had been broken, things would change for the better.

Sidney wept though, this time, his tears weren't that of sadness. No, this time, he was crying because he was happy. It was a rather odd feeling, to be crying and not be sad, though it also felt a bit nice.

"Are you alright, Sidney?" Tucker asked, having noticed that Sidney was crying.

Sidney looked up Tucker with a little bit of surprise clearly visible on his face. His surprise soon faded, however, and was replaced with a watery smile. "T-Thank you Tucker..."

"Sidney—" Tucker began.

"It's a-alright..." Sidney interrupted somewhat shakily. He took in a deep breath to steady himself before he looked back up at Sam and Tucker. "... I'm fine, sweet cats." Then, before either of the two Humans could stop him, he quickly floated over to where Danny stood.

Sensing him approach, Danny allowed an awkward expression to cross his face. He hadn't really asked for permission to take, or destroy, Sidney's mirror, so he didn't know how the Ghost would react. He guessed that, after hearing Sidney's story, he had wanted to vent against something. Sidney's mirror had been the easiest thing to take out his aggression on, since, to him, to it caused Sidney nothing but trouble.

However, Danny also didn't want a repeat of what happened with the Lunch Lady. "I'm sorry that I didn't ask you for permission, Sidney... but, I had to do it. From what you said, that mirror seemed to have caused you nothing but trouble and—"

Danny was prepared for a lot of things at this point. He had expected for Sidney to get really angry, like the Lunch Lady had when 'her menu' had been changed. He had expected for Sidney to attack him and was ready to deal with it. What he didn't expect, though, was for Sidney to interrupt him by wrapping his arms around him in a stiff hug. He never would've expected for Sidney to thank him but, not even a second after the hug had begun, Sidney had begun to thank him.

"Thank you so much!"

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Illinois—Outskirts of Amity Park)

Unbeknownst to Danny and his friends, a third party had detected a brief flare of Danny's Arrancar Reiatsu and was now making its way towards the junkyard. Through closer observation, one could see that this 'third party' was actually just one tall, unusually-dressed man.

The man paused for a moment before he stopped in the shadow of a building and pulled out a sleek, cellular phone-like object out from his sash. Flicking it open, he looked at the screen of the device; the Hollow's Reiatsu was still in the junkyard.

Stepping out from the building's shadow, the man's true appearance was revealed. He stood at about 6 feet with abnormally pale skin and purple-colored eyes. He was wearing the standard attire for a Shinigami—a Shihakushō—which consisted of a pair of white shitagi, a black kosode, a black hakama, a white hakama-himo, white tabi, and waraji. The odd thing about this man was that his brown hair was done up to resemble horns stretching up from his scalp. Another odd thing about him was that his teeth were sharp and triangular in shape, just like the teeth of a shark.

This man was Murasaki Hõku, the 4th Seat of the Gotei 13's 12th Division. He was also to be Amity Park's Shinigami for the next three-to-five months, courtesy of Mayuri Kurotsuchi-taichō. "Hm. It appears that the Hollow is either confident enough that he believes he doesn't have to hide from me or simply stupid..." Frowning, he kicked off the ground, towards the junkyard. "No matter. It shall be dealt with soon enough."

XXXXXX

(Earlier—The Shinigami Research and Development Institute—Lab #6)

Murasaki smiled to himself as he finished mixing the appropriate amount of chemicals into his beaker before he placed it on the burner so it could heat up. He cast a minor Kidō to monitor the beaker before he walked over to his desk, near the back of his personal laboratory. There, he stared at the picture of Nemu Kurotsuchi-fukutaichō.

Nemu was a slender and youthful looking Shinigami with green eyes and black hair with slightly parted bangs that was pulled back into a long braid. Her uniform consists of a short black kimono that extended to her mid-thigh with a white nagajuban under it. The sleeves of her kimono weren't as wide as those worn by most Shinigami and the upper parts of the sleeves are puffed. She also wore a traditional wide white obi with a red cord fastening it. On her left sleeve was a lieutenant's armband. In addition she was wearing white gloves that covered the back of her hands and wrists and a dark red choker.

Minutes passed before Murasaki was brought out of his admiration by the sharp, whistling sound of his Kidō releasing. Smiling, he walked back over to the beaker, hoping what he was currently making would please his fukutaichō. Or at least cheer her up a little bit.

"Hõku! Shelve your chemicals and put your little 'experiment' away—" Murasaki froze at the scratchy, all-too familiar, and hated, voice of Kurotsuchi-taichō. "—I have an assignment for you."

Murasaki quickly obeyed; capping and then shelving his beaker before he turned off his burner. He then turned around to face his taichō, making sure to keep the loathing he held for the man off his face.

Kurotsuchi-taichō had a very skeletal look, with a skull-like visage and gold eyes. His face was painted white with the inner portion of his face painted black with the exception of his nose. Both of his ears were gone, replaced with stubbed golden cones. He was wearing the traditional Gotei 13 uniform, with a white taichō's haori over it. He also wore a bloated purple cravat and a hat that was decorated with two spikes.

"Kurotsuchi-taichō." Murasaki inclined his head with a polite smile.

While on the outside, he was smiling, on the inside, Murasaki was raging. He hated his taichō with a passion and why wouldn't he? The man had abused, (both verbally and physically) and experimented on Kurotsuchi-fukutaichō, his own daughter. Not to mention all of the members of his division that he had blown up, experimented on, and killed off when they displeased him.

However, he couldn't publically show his hatred for Kurotsuchi-taichō, lest he end up like the others. He just had to wait until the right opportunity to come up and then he would kill the man, ending his tyrannical reign over the 12th Division once and for all.

"Follow me Hõku. I will explain to you your mission's specific details on the way to Surveillance Room 3-B." Kurotsuchi-taichō paused, eyes narrowing. "Well? Come on, you dimwitted imbecile!" He snapped. "I have other things to do!"

With that, Kurotsuchi-taichō spun around before he began walking away, Murasaki following close behind. As they walked through the pristine halls of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, lower-ranked Shinigami fled when they caught sight of their taichō.

When they had finally come up to Surveillance Room 3-B, Mayuri pressed a number of buttons on the keypad next to the door. A few milliseconds passed before the door opened with a 'hiss' and they walked into the room. Hearing them, the Shinigami in the room turned, paling slightly at the sight of Kurotsuchi-taichō.

"Get back to work!" Kurotsuchi-taichō bit out, causing the grunts to nod quickly before they quickly turned around and resumed their previous duties. Still a bit miffed but satisfied for the time being, Kurotsuchi-taichō turned back to him. "Now, as for your mission Hõku... I have caught onto brief, lower-level 'flares' of Hollow Reiatsu in Amity Park that these idiots—" He paused to glare at everyone in the room, causing them to flinch. "have missed."

'They actually failed to detect a Hollow?'Murasaki thought in slight shock.

Normally, the surveillance division of the SDRI was known to be able to pinpoint where a Hollow was going to appear in the Gense—the Living World—moments of even minutes ahead of when it would actually appear. If that wasn't impressive enough, they were also able to determine the 'level' of Reiatsu that the Hollow had, a feat unheard of 50 years ago.

To actually find out that a Hollow had somehow gotten around their technology was very unsettling. If one Hollow could hide from them, then who was to say that other Hollows couldn't develop a similar ability?

"That is where your mission comes into play." Kurotsuchi-taichō said, inadvertently snapping his 4th Seat out of his thoughts. "I have... arranged... for you to be assigned to 'guard' Amity Park. In actuality, you will be searching for the source of the Hollow Reiatsu and, once you find it, capture and/or kill it..." He frowned. "But do be sure to kill it as a last resort... If it's dead then I can't... find out... how it got past our detection."

XXXXXX

(Presently—With Murasaki Hõku)

Murasaki was snapped out of his thoughts when he sensed a huge flare in Hollow Reiatsu. Looking ahead towards the junkyard, he witnessed a single, ice-blue beam fly out of it. 'What the—that was a Cero!'

While Murasaki was stunned for a brief moment, it soon faded, leaving him to begin analyzing what he had just seen. Judging from the size of the Cero, how well it was formed, and from the level of Reiatsu he had detected within it, that wasn't a standard Hollow's Cero. No, it was far worse than that.

"An... An Arrancar! **!" While he was still rapidly approaching the junkyard, Murasaki's hand reached into the folds of his Shihakushō before he pulled out his Denreishinki. "I've got to report this!" Flicking it open, he fumbled around with the buttons before he put it to his ear and waited. "C'mon, guys..."

"I'm afraid that your little device won't work..."

Murasaki's eyes narrowed before he stopped himself in mid-air and turned, putting away his Denreishinki with one hand as his other went for his Zanpakutō. If the guys back home hadn't gotten his message, and this voice knew that, then it probably had caused it.

However, as soon as Murasaki had finished turning around, he caught sight of a pale white face. In the next few seconds, he and his vision were consumed within a literaltorrentof golden sand. Unable to use Shunpo, he struggled, trying to break free of the sand that held him but to no avail.

"Goodnight, Murasaki Hõku. I hope you have pleasant dreams." The voice said before Murasaki detected a strange, unfamiliar Reiatsu wash over him. "Sommeil de sable (Sleep sand)."

The sand around Murasaki lightened in color before it rushed towards his eyes. Seeing this, Murasaki quickly closed his eyes and jerked his head backwards as far as he could. The sand, however, passed over his face and caused him to feel drowsy.

Unwilling to surrender so easily, Murasaki instead pulsed his Reiatsu and disrupted the Reiatsu that was threatening to lull him into unconsciousness. This also had the added bonus of blowing the sand a few inches away from his body, allowing him to tighten his hold on his Zanpakutō.

"Kamu,— (Bite,—)!"

"I'm growing tired of you." The voice interrupted Murasaki mid-sentence as sand quickly wrapped around the man again. This time, the owner of the voice had infused a large enough portion of his energy to disrupt Murasaki's activation of his Shikai. "Now,sleep!"

Murasaki managed to get out a muffled curse as he struggled within the sand before his eyes began to close. Unlike last time, the voice's Sommeil de sable had enough power to overpower his own Reiatsu and forced him into unconsciousness.

XXXXXX

(Later—The Ghost Zone—Clockwork's Lair)

In the farthest region of the Ghost Zone lay a single, floating island that no sane Ghost would venture to, even if they knew about it. Of those rare few that did know of the island, they avoided it because of their fear over the island's single occupant.

The island itself wasn't that remarkable, as it wasn't that big of an island and it only had two types of vegetation—moss and vines—growing on and around it. What was remarkable though was the factory perched on the top of the island. The factory stood at what appeared to be three stories in height and seemed to be made entirely out of old gears, clocks, and other thing that people had ever associated with time. Further adding on to this was the fact that, if one could close enough, they would be able to hear the 'ticking' of a clock along with the grinding of gears.

In the very center of the factory, though, was an old and weary clock tower that stuck out like a lighthouse on the edge of a cliff. And, standing behind the 'face' of the clock tower's clock was the creator and owner of the island and factory; the fabled Clockwork, the 'Ghost of Time'.

Clockwork was a Ghost with light-blue skin, crimson-colored eyes, a stern expression on his face, and a long blue tail instead of feet. He wore a long, violet cloak, a lavender tunic, and violet-colored gloves. In his hands, he carried a long dark-grey staff that ended in a 'V', with a clock hanging in the middle of the 'V'. The only other thing of note about him was that there was a see-through, rectangular plate in the middle of his chest, allowing anyone to see the numerous gears on the other side of it.

At the moment, Clockwork was doing the one thing that tired even his legendary patience and calm-headedness; he was arguing with one of the Observants.

The Observants were an ancient group of Ghosts that appeared to be nothing more than large, green eyes, a torso with a pair of clawed arms, and a long green tail. True to their name, the Observants kept watch over both the Human World and the Ghost Zone with their powers, the ability to see into the past, present, and future like Clockwork himself was able to. They, however, had a more limited sense of time then he did, which often lead to arguments between them.

"I'm telling you Clockwork... that boy needs to die!" An Observant shouted angrily, glaring at the fabled Ghost. "You know that his presence will bring us unwanted attention from Hueco Mundo and the Seireitei! And if they actually find about us—you know what will happen then."

Clockwork sighed before he turned away from the annoying Ghost, his back hunching as numerous wrinkles and a long, silver beard appeared on his face. "You know that as long as I am here that the Ghost Zone will not be discovered by either of those two realms."

The Observant clenched his clawed fists together so hard that his claws pierced the flesh of his hands and caused dark, green-colored blood to drip onto the formerly-pristine floor. Why did Clockwork always have to question him and the other Observants? Couldn't he see that they were only trying to help and preserve both the Human World and the Ghost Zone?

"We know that you're helping that Arrancar boy, Clockwork..." The Observant muttered, drawing Clockwork's attention, before his voice began to raise. "We also know that, if you keep helping him, the other two realmswilldiscover us! And if that happens, those thousands of years hiding away from them and carefully manipulating the time stream will becomemeaningless! We cannot allow that to happen because..." He scowled. "Youpitythat child's fate!"

Clockwork frowned himself before he shifting once more. This time, he became as small as a five year-old while his back straightened and he lost all of his wrinkles. He then rounded on the Observant, the heat of his glare forcing the other Ghost to back up. However, despite this warning, the Observant seemed incapable of letting the subject drop.

"Clockwork—!"

"Enough! I have absolutelynothingto do with that child!" Clockwork almost-yelled, losing his temper as he flew towards the other Ghost, forcing him back. "Since we have hid from the Shinigami and the other Spiritual Races, I have been manipulating the time stream and cloaking Ghosts whenever they happen to use their Reiatsu in the Human World!"

"B-but..."

"BE GONE!"

The Observant fled, fearing for his life, as Clockwork had never seemed angrier than he did at this point. He should have foresaw what would happen if he had pressed on with his case but hadn't, his own anger having blinded him.

As soon as Clockwork felt the Observant finally leave his lair, he took a deep breath before he shifted into his adult form. Short, black hair formed as he grew taller and stronger until he looked like he was twenty years old. He then looked towards a presence in the shadows that the Observant hadn't been able to see.

Clockwork chuckled inwardly at the irony. On the outside though, his face was blank and emotionless. "How goes your mission?"

There was no immediate reply. Instead, a copious amount of sand surged out from the shadows, swirling together as it gathered ten feet away from where Clockwork floated. As it gathered, the sand began to merge together and harden, soon assuming a throne-like form. And, once the throne had formed, the remaining sand swirled to the top of it before it began to form into an all-to familiar figure.

The figure in question had pale white skin, shoulder-length brown hair, and a white mask over his mask itself was of a smiling man, whose ear-to-ear grin rested beneath a pencil thin mustache. The eyeholes of this mask were narrowed into dark slits, obscuring any sign of its wearer's eyes. He was wearing a black suit with black, leather gloves and a wide-brimmed hat. As Clockwork observed the figure, said person fiddled with the blood-red rose in his grasp.

"... 'The mission' goes well, Clockwork." The man said with a light English accent. "However, the Seireitei appears to have discovered the trace amounts of Reiatsu that managed to escape your barrier..." He frowned underneath his mask. "Of course, based on the information I've gain from the Shinigami sent here, the Seireitei wouldn't have discovered it at all, if not for Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

Clockwork frowned, "You didn't hurt the Shinigami to get that information did you?"

"Oh, please." The man scoffed, turning away from Clockwork. "Who do you take me for...? That parasitic shadow, Nocturne? I didn't hurt the brat..." Then, seeing Clockwork raise an eyebrow, his frown grew. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I am afraid that your record speaks against you and, as long as you wear that medallion, I cannot see for myself to see what you have done."

"Youknowthat those guys deserved exactly what punishment I dealt out for them!" The man bit out angrily. "Youknowthat, if I didn't step in,shewould've been hurt or evenkilled!"

Clockwork stared at the man for a moment. "While I thank you for helping me on that matter, did you have to send all thirty of them into the Human ER?"

"... I guess you're right." The man reluctantly admitted before he sighed. "Just believe me when I tell you that I didn't hurt him... I merely used my Sommeil de sable to put him to sleep... the Shinigami was able to actually disrupt it and almost released his Zanpakutō until I upped the 'dose'."

Clockwork's eyes widened in slight surprise. To actually hear about someone that could resist his associate's Sommeil de sable, even temporarily, was extraordinary. To actually manage to escape the technique and then almost release his Zanpakutō spoke highly of the Shinigami's skill.

"Do you believe that the Seireitei will notice his absence?" Clockwork asked.

The man before he waved his hand dismissively and looked towards the one of the numerous screens that hung on the walls. "Not likely. I put him in a 'Sleep Walking' State." The man explained. "As long as he is under it, his mind will be trapped inside of a 'dream' that I've personally crafted for him while his body will be mine to control. And as long as I'm in control of him, making frequent reports to his superiors about his mission shouldn't be too hard..."

"And what of his mission and when he is supposed to head back to the Seireitei?" Clockwork asked.

"When he is to head back to the Seireitei, I'll manipulate his memories and make him actually 'remember' exactly what I made him report to his superiors..." The man paused as a small smile formed underneath his mask. "His mission itself will be the problem, but I think I can handle it. I'll just make him believe it was a Menos with a unique cloaking ability that killed."

Clockwork allowed a smile to appear on his own face, content that his associate had this problem handled. He then turned around to a nearby wall of screens—which depicted events in time that were happening 'presently'—and stared at one screen in particular.

This screen depicted the half-Human, half-Arrancar child that the Observants wanted him to kill; Danny Fenton. Clockwork, however, had no real reason or want to kill the boy. No, he actuallyneededthe boy if the future he had foreseen was to come to pass.

Seeing this, the man on the throne got up before he walked over to stand beside Clockwork. He spared a brief glance at the screen depicting Fenton before he turned to another. This screen showed a darkened street where a Human with unusually orange-colored hair was standing next to a downed petite, black-haired Shinigami. As he watched, the Human took the Shinigami's Zanpakutō and plunged it into his own chest.

"I hope those two are worth it, Clockwork." He muttered as he stared up at the screen. "Otherwise, everything that we have done will be meaningless."

Clockwork didn't look at him, "I know."

XXXXXX

(Illinois—Amity Park—The Fenton residence)

Soon after everyone had calmed down from Danny's destruction of Sidney's mirror, they had all gone back into the toolshed. The three teenagers were still reeling from the massive amount of information they had managed to get from Sidney, so they avoided asking anymore questions. They also avoided asking any topics that they thought might upset Sidney, in fear of upsetting him. SO they decided to explain to him some of the changes that occurred in the last fifty years.

This had led to a massive amount of confusion on his part. While he had been able to understand what the three teenagers were saying, the terms and that they used were new to him, so he didn't know what they meant. He also didn't understand some of the events they mentioned. So, eager to learn, Sidney had asked his new 'friends' about the words and the things they had mentioned.

When Sidney had asked them that, it had really hit home that Sidney was originally from the 1950s. He probably didn't know how the world had changed since his death and couldn't understand the 'slang' words that they had grown up with. This realization led them to begin a brief lecture on what had changed since the 1950s. It really helped that Sam was into history and that Tucker could look up things on his P.D.A.

The three teenagers had explained everything up until the 1980s before the alarm on Tucker's P.D.A. went off; it was time to go. They had then explained to Sidney that, because Danny had promises to be home soon, that they would be heading over to his house for a bit.

After a little bit of convincing, Sidney had agreed to follow behind them invisibly and high enough in the air that people wouldn't run into him. It wouldn't do for a Ghost to be seen in the town, especially after the Lunch Lady's attack. No, that would only lead to Ghost Hunters showing up and trying to capture and/or him. And who knew what they would do to him after they had captured him.

When they had gotten to Danny's house, Sidney turned visible for a brief second to give his new friends a wave before he flew through one of the second story windows. He had been told which window connected to the room that housed Danny, so he would be waiting there until his friends came up.

It was only a few moments later that Danny opened the door to his house—which was rarely locked in the daytime unless his parents or Jazz was out—and walked inside. As soon as he did though, he got a whiff of melting chocolate-chip cookies that made his stomach growl in remembrance. His mom was cooking her state famous chocolate-chip cookies.

"Mmm..." Tucker closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent, sighing. "You're mom really makes the best cookies, dude."

Sam nodded in agreement but didn't say anything. Instead, she allowed herself to walk towards the source of the heavenly aroma with Danny and Tucker falling behind. What could she say?Mrs. Fenton's cookieswere afoot and she was hungry.

When the trio reached the kitchen, they found Mrs. Fenton pulling out a tray of chocolate-chip cookies from the oven before she placed them onto the stove. On the counter was a half-empty mixing bowl, the counter had a cooling rack full of cookies, and the sink had a few measuring cups and powder in it.

Seeing them, Danny's mom smiled. "Hi kids. I guess you smelled them, right? Well, I'm making them for Jack's birthday party tomorrow." She paused when she saw all three of the teenagers deflate before she put a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. "Although I do have a few cookies lying around here somewhere..."

At the mention of his dad's birthday, Danny winced and was grateful that his mom didn't seem to catch it. With all of the things that had happened, he had forgotten about it. That was to say that, if his mom hadn't just reminded him about it, he probably wouldn't even have a few hours to scrounge up a good birthday present.

His two friends, however, didn't seem to notice his sudden stillness or, if they did, they didn't care at the moment. They had practically ran over to the table where his mom had just laid down a small plate of cookies before they each grabbed one. Biting into their cookies, they each sighed blissfully; it was still as delicious as they remembered it to be.

Seeing that he would get no help from his friends, Danny told his mom that he would be heading up to his room. As he turned and began walking up to his room, he thought about whether Sidney could help him think of a present for his dad.

Danny's thoughts were interrupted as soon as he opened the door to his room. He caught a flash of what he assumed to be Sidney before a long tentacle made out of silver, sand-like particles shot out and wrapped around his torso. He was then pulled into the room so quickly that it made his head spin, the door almost slamming shut behind him.

He didn't even get the chance to make a sound as the sand-like stuff rushed upwards and covered the lower half of his face, effectively gagging him. It was only a few milliseconds later when the sand-like stuff wrapped around his wrists, bound them together, and then formed a 'cord' that surged upward and attached itself to the ceiling. This left Danny hanging with his hands above his head, wriggling around like a worm as he struggled.

"I can't believe how easy it was to capture you..."

Hearing the voice, Danny looked upwards and then glared at his apparent captor. It was a Ghost with flaming, green-colored hair and a highly mechanical appearance. He was wearing a black wife-beater with gray gauntlets with an assortment of small, digital screens on his arms and black combat boots. Around his waist was a belt with a silver, skull- shaped buckle and a small, plump pouch.

Danny struggled against the sand-like stuff, channeling some of his energy into it, only for the stuff to tighten around him, cutting into his wrists and face. His scream was muffled by the gag, which only caused the Ghost to laugh.

"I should've warned you Arrancar... My Armures de Constriction (Constriction Armor) tightens around my prey more when they struggle." He smirked. "And using Reiatsu will only cause it to tighten by a margin significant to how much you used to try and break out of it." He paused. "But, enough about my technique... You're probably wondering who I am, aren't you?"

Danny's angry retort was muffled by his gag before the sand tightened around him again. His had flew back from the sudden pain before it fell forward, where he proceeded to glare bloody murder at his captor. It was good to know that the Ghost could tighten his 'Armures de Constriction', though useless unless he could actually use it to help him escape and then beat the crap out of the Ghost.

Unbeknownst to Danny, the air in the room slowly began to cool down. This was followed by a thin sheet of what appeared to be ice appear at the tips of the Ghost's boots before it began spreading upwards like a snake.

Feeling this, the Ghost looked down and saw the ice. He shattered it with a minor pulse of his own Reiatsu before he turned on Danny, "Why you little pest! Did you actually think that such a weak attempt could do anything to me? The Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter! Hah!" His eyes narrowed into slits. "Now, instead of keeping you in a cage with my other pets, I'll skin you—"

The Ghost never got to finish his statement as, at that moment, Danny's closet door was forced open by a literal wave of paper. Following this, Sidney floated out of the closet, looking at the other Ghost in the room with an enraged expression on his face.

"You! How did you—?" The Ghost demanded.

"None of your business you bully!" Sidney retorted, cutting the other Ghost off, before he shoved his hands forward and shouted "Poing Juge (Judge Fist)!"

The paper around Sidney's body surged forward before it began to come together and form a pair of bowling ball-sized fists. On the sidelines, Danny watched as the Ghost dodged the first strike by jumping backwards, before his sand-like particles formed a shield to intercept the second blow. Sidney, however, wasn't even close to being done yet.

With a jerk of his hands, the paper making up Sidney's Poing juge separated from one another and developed a green glow. These sheets of paper then began to spin around like miniature buzz saws before they all flew at the other Ghost from all directions. Seeing this, the other Ghost quickly allowed his shield to expand into a dome to block Sidney's attack.

It was only a few seconds later when Sidney's paper collided with the Ghost's dome-like shield. Like a buzz saw, the majority of the paper began carving into the shield while others sheets swirled around the dome and left deep gouges in it.

Within his dome, the Ghost scowled. "Do you know that you're really annoying? But..." He began gathering his Reiatsu to himself. "nothing I can't deal with. Fantôme de Choc (Ghost Shock)!"

With that, the dome around the Ghost collapsed inwards before a solid 'bubble' of Ghost Reiatsu surged out from the Ghost. Every piece of paper that came into contact with this bubble instantly corroded away until there was nothing left. Then, as Sidney was summoning more paper, the bubble actually popped and released an enormous shockwave. The force of the shockwave was enough to rattle all of the furniture in the room as well as slam Sidney into a nearby wall.

Sidney recovered seconds before the furniture stopped rattling. Seeing that the other Ghost begin to lunge at him, he hastily summoned a swarm of paper before he sent it forward. As the paper flew, the sheets came together until there were 10 miniature and white swords in the air.

However, the other Ghost was not one to go down so easily. He quickly vaulted over the incoming swords and then landed in a crouch. His head snapped up to Sidney before he kicked off, hand outstretching, before he slammed Sidney against the wall. His hand tightened around Sidney's throat hard enough to make Sidney lose control of his paper and start choking him.

"Did you really think that you would be able to defeat me?" The Ghost sneered.

Choking, Sidney's hands clawed at the one holding his throat, to no avail. "I... don't need... to beat... you..."

Unbeknownst to the Ghost, while Sidney had been attacking him, he had also been directing some of his paper towards Danny. As their continued, Sidney's paper had been cutting away at the Ghost's Armures de Constriction. When the Ghost had grabbed Sidney by the throat, the paper had cut enough of it away.

"... I just... needed to... distract you..."

With an enormous pulse of his Reiatsu, Danny shattered the remains of the Armures de Constriction, sending bits of the silver material in every direction. Before the Ghost could react to this sudden development, Danny's form blurred as he raced towards the Ghost and kicked it in the side. The Ghost gasped from the sudden pain before he went sailing backwards and crashed onto the wall above Danny's bed. As he slumped to the ground, bits of plaster from the wall fell onto the Ghost's head, further aggravating it.

When the Ghost recovered, he quickly unleashed a wave of silver particles towards Danny. Danny, however, merely blurred out of sight again before he reappeared a foot away from the Ghost, his unsheathed sword falling towards the Ghost's head. Seeing this, the Ghost quickly transformed his right arm into a silver machete and blocked the strike. Sparks danced in the air as each weapon pushed against each other.

"Your peltwillbe mine, Arrancar." The Ghost growled.

Danny's eyes narrowed, "I don't think so."

With a snarl, the Ghost backed up a bit before he crouched down and kicked Danny away from himself. Plaster fell once more as Danny's back hit a nearby wall, almost crashing through the wall, before he slid downwards. Grimacing, he slowly got back up, never noticing the silver particles that his enemy had just sent forth.

Sidney however, did. So, racing towards Danny, Sidney conjured a large amount of paper around himself before he leaned forward and slammed his hands together. "Papier Bouclier (Paper Shield)!" The paper surged forth and came together in a good-sized, rectangular shield. There was a sound not unlike raindrops hitting a rooftop as Sidney's shield blocked the Ghost's particles.

Having been allowed a temporary breather, Danny slowly came to one conclusion; he couldn't allow this battle to continue here. If it did, not only would his room get more trashed, the battle could eventually spill out into the rest of the house or attract the attention of his parents. Realizing this didn't mean it would be any easier to get the Ghost out of his house, though. He needed to think of some way he could lure the Ghost away.

Danny's eyes widened as he suddenly thought of an idea. So, leaping out from behind Sidney's shield, he smirked at the Ghost. "Catch me if you can you mechanical freak!"

With that, Danny accelerated his movements until his form was a blur and raced out the opened window. Since he wasn't in his room anymore, he wouldn't have seen Sidney unleash another torrent of paper at the Ghost to slow him down before he flew out the window. Nor did he see when the Ghost recovered from Sidney's attack and growl.

To the Ghost, it didn't matter where his prey ran, or if his original ambush had failed. He would not accept defeat, and would get that Arrancar's pelt if it was the last thing he ever did!

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Sommeil de sable (Sleep sand): A technique that allows the user to infuse sand with Reiatsu that, when wrapped around a target, causes that target to feel drowsy. The standard 'dose' of this is able to knock beings with no or little Reiatsu unconscious while those with a lot of Reiatsu may resist it. In that case, the user can increase the 'dose' and the sleepiness that this sand transmits to the target to try and knock the target unconscious.

2. Armures de Constriction (Constriction Armor): This is a technique in which Skulker uses his Nanobots to trap his prey. After capturing the target, the Nanobots will tighten around it if the user struggles too much or if the target attempts to use his/her Reiatsu to break free of it. The Nanobots will also tighten into the target if Skulker orders them to. However, if the majority of the Nanobots have been cut away, a strong enough pulse of Reiatsu will blow the remainder of them away.

3. Poing juge (Judge Fist): This is a technique in which Sidney transforms condenses a large amount of paper into a pair of small fists. Because Sidney has condensed the paper into a small space, this technique is very fast in both speed and momentum. A straight punch from one of the arms would leave a small, fist-shaped dent in most metals.

4. Fantôme de choc (Ghost Shock): Skulker compresses a large amount of his energy into a single 'bubble'. This 'bubble' has corrosive properties, and as such, it will start dissolving the things it touches as it expands. When this bubble "pops", it releases either a shockwave or an explosive blast.

5. Papier Bouclier (Paper Shield): This is a technique in which Sidney leans forward and slams his hands together. This causes the paper around him to surge before him and merge into a closet-sized, rectangular shield of paper.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **This chapter was updated as of 6/23/2012.


	9. Chapter Nine:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine:<p>

* * *

><p>(Illinois—Amity Park)<p>

At the moment, one could find Danny Fenton jumping from rooftop-to-rooftop as fast as he possibly could. He knew that Ghost would follow, as he seemed determined to kill and then skin him, so he needed to draw the Ghost away from the city. He had eventually decided on heading to the junkyard because it was out of the way and, well, nobody would miss it that much if it was to be destroyed. Hell, Sam might even _thank_ him for destroying it.

"Do you have a plan Danny?"

Danny turned his head to the side slightly and caught sight of Sidney flying behind him with a semi-worried expression on his face. He noticed that Sidney appeared to be sweating; probably a result of breaking out of whatever that Ghost had captured him with and their short battle with the Ghost. "... I think so—"

"Flèches d'argent Cent (One-hundred silver arrows)!"

Danny and Sidney's eyes widened at the familiar voice before they both spun around in the direction that they had heard it come from, tensing. However, instead of seeing the Ghost, they saw about a 100 or more arrow-shaped needles rushing towards them at dizzying speeds. Shocked, Danny didn't notice when Sidney took up a defensive position before he spread his arms apart, faint green Reiatsu emerging from his arms.

"Papier Bouc—!"

Sidney was unable to finish his sentence, and his technique, as a needle as thick as a tree branch suddenly embedded itself into Sidney's chest. Danny could only watch as thick green goo—Ectoplasm, Danny's brain supplied—emerged from the sides of his new friend's chest as Sidney's eyes widened in shock. Not a second later did Sidney begin to plummet towards the ground as he unable to maintain his flight any longer.

"SIDNEY!"

Horrorstruck, Danny quickly jumped down in an attempt to save Sidney, only to be stopped by the rain of needles that Sidney had tried to protect him from. Biting back a curse, he jumped upwards, where a heavy boot connected with his stomach and sent him flying backwards. His back slammed into a nearby wall, which then spider-webbed, before Danny recovered and looked up.

Coming into view, the Ghost lowered his outstretched leg before he grinned. Danny's eyes caught sight of the smoking wrist-launcher on the Ghost's right wrist; the same weapon that had been used to launch that thing that had stabbed into Sidney's chest. Did that mean the Ghost's initial attack had been a ruse so he could get rid of Sidney? The Ghost's next words confirmed this suspicion.

"Now that the _pest_ is out of the way..." The Ghost said before he grinned darkly. "... we can have some real _fun! _Armes d'Argent (Arms of Silver)!"

With that, thousands of the silver particles flew out from the Ghost's body before they launched themselves towards Danny. As these particles flew through the air, they merged together to form a group of thin, metallic arms. Some of these arms had fists that looked like they would attempt to grab him—no doubt for another try at restraining him—while others were balled up into fists.

In response, Danny quickly got up before he withdrew his sword from its sheathe on his sash. He then took a deep and then applied Chōkasoku to his entire body before his form blurred. He raced throughout the grouping of metallic arms, only to stop when he was twenty feet away from them and 100 feet away from the Ghost. Then, flicking his sword, the silver particles gathered onto the blade were thrown off.

It was only a second later that the arms appeared to be cut into numerous chunks before they fell towards the ground. As the metal plummeted towards the ground, Danny turned to face his newest foe with a smoldering glare. He would _pay_ for what he had done to Sidney.

"Hah! You think you scare me, Arrancar? I've seen scarier expressions from _five year-old children!_" The Ghost mocked before he paused. "And why aren't you using Sonido...?" Seeing the confusion on Danny's face, he then grinned. "An Arrancar not knowing Sonido? That's _rich_. You are a little oddity, aren't you?" Green Reiatsu started to gather around the Ghost. "But that just makes you a much more valuable piece of prey..."

The metallic chunks suddenly froze in mid-air before they dispersed into millions of silver particles. They then reformed into another barrage of Flèches d'argent Cent that then zoomed towards Danny. The entire process had only taken a second.

Danny's eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed in anger. His formed blurred again as he used Chōkasoku again. He stopped directly underneath the needles with a slightly misshapen sphere of ice-blue energy in his right hand. He then punched the sphere from his hand, where it became a beam of pure, destructive energy. "Cero (Zero)!"

Any and all of the needles that were above Danny was vaporized the moment that his Cero hit them. Unfortunately, there were a fair number of needles that survived, having been at the edges of the needle barrage. A silent command from the Ghost sent them rocketing down towards Danny, their forms shifting until they resembled silver spears instead of needles.

Danny didn't have much time to react. He managed to twist to the side as he took a step forward—avoiding a fatal blow through the heart—only for only of the spears to pierce through his sides with a clang. White tatters of clothing fell as Danny's hand instinctively moved to cover his bleeding wound.

"If my Fleches d'argent Cent was able to cut through your Hierro so easily..." The Ghost grinned sinisterly. "... then this will be _easy_!"

With that, the Ghost then dived towards Danny while his arms morphed into a pair of silver machetes. Danny barely had any time to regrip his own sword and bring it up to block a blow from the Ghost's machetes that would've cut both his arms off.

Danny's arms shook from the strain of keep those machetes at bay, small beads of sweat appearing on his forehead before they ran down his face. He had guessed at how much strength the Ghost possessed, but he had never thought he would be _this_ strong. It was only a couple seconds later when the Ghost smirked and became intangible, causing Danny to stumble forwards. Now behind him, the Ghost became tangible once more before he swung one of his machetes towards Danny's back.

The expected blow never came. The moment that the Ghost's machete was about to cut into Danny's back, a thick wall of paper had formed, intercepting and then halting it. Danny turned around as the Ghost snarled, knowing only one person that could've been responsible for the paper wall. _'Sidney!'_

"I thought I had gotten rid of you_, you pest!"_

Sidney was floating in mid-air 10 feet away from Danny and Skulker, using his right hand to cover the enormous wound on his chest. Besides that, Sidney had a number of fresh bruises and cuts on his body; reminders of the place where Sidney had fallen to. Besides this, Sidney's clothing and hair was a bit ruffled up, as if he had slept in his clothes.

"You thought wrong..." Sidney panted before he lifted his left hand. "Poing juge!"

The paper that had been protecting Danny suddenly shifted before it assumed the form of two shopping cart-sized arms. Drawing his left fist back, both arms fisted before Sidney jabbed his left arm forward. This caused both of the arms to both the Ghost backwards, sending him into a nearby building.

As Danny rushed over to Sidney's side to see if he was okay, the Ghost's closed eyes snapped open before he ripped himself free of the building that _nerd _had punched him then wiped a trickle of Ectoplasm from his lip, saw the nerd's Poing juge coming towards him, and began to gather his Reiatsu. "Fantôme de choc!"

Unlike the last time this was used, this time the 'bubble' came out smaller but much, much faster. It quickly met Sidney's Poing juge, dissolved it with its corrosive properties, and then rushed towards Danny and Sidney. Seeing this, Danny quickly charged another Cero and released it. When the two techniques met, it caused an enormous explosion that hurled all three combatants meters backwards.

It was lucky that they were in mid-air right now; otherwise, that explosion would've taken down a few buildings.

"You... You think that you can beat _me_, Arrancar?" The Ghost seethed as he walked out from the smoke, furious. "I am Skulker, the _Greatest Hunter in the _entire_ Ghost Zone! You will _not_ defeat me so easily!"_

With that exclamation, the Ghost—Skulker—raised his arms as his machete-arms transformed into a pair of cannon-like structures. Charged with green Reiatsu, these cannons then began to unleash a barrage of green, spectral fireballs towards the recovering forms of Danny and Sidney. Sidney managed to go intangible to avoid most of the barrage, though a fireball grazed Danny's uninjured side.

Gritting his teeth, he tried to ignore the pain, instead focusing on using Chōkasoku to evade the barrage of fireballs heading his way. He however, didn't notice when Skulker slammed his cannons together before they merged into a single cannon before it began to glow dark green. He did, however, notice the enormous white-green fireball that Skulker released.

Danny realized that he could dodge the attack but, if he did, then who knows what the fireball would hit? Those other fireballs had hit nearby rooftops, creating small craters into the surface of the roofs before the craters started to burn. The few trees that had been hit were now stumps, while small green flickers of flame burned around them.

Who knows what would happen if Skulker's gigantic fireball hit anything.

Sidney seemed to have realized this too, for he became tangible before he summoned an enormous amount of paper. He continued to generate paper as he merged them to a gigantic version of his Papier Bouclier. It was only a few second later that Skulker's fireball hit the shield and _vaporized _the first 10 layers of Sidney's shield. Sidney, however, just continued to generate more and more paper to repair the burned layers of the shield, though it was obvious that he was weakening.

"Your pelt will be mine..." Skulker whispered into Danny's ears, causing his eyes to widen seconds before a small, green fireball impacted against his back. Not having expected such an attack, Danny shouted in pain before he slowly fell towards the ground, no longer having the concentration to keep himself in the air.

Sweating heavily, Sidney turned at the sound, only to see Skulker standing behind him and Danny falling towards the ground. Unfortunately it was taking all of his strength to hold back the fireball with his technique so all Sidney could do was watch as his newest friend fell, "Danny..."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Sam and Tucker)

Once they had finished the pile of Mrs. Fenton's cookies, both Sam and Tucker thanked the woman. Mrs. Fenton blushed slightly at their praise before she waved them off towards the staircase and asked them if they could tell Danny that it dinner was coming up.

"We'll tell him Mrs. Fenton." Sam promised.

"Yeah." Tucker nodded before he released a loud belch, which caused him to blush as both Sam and Mrs. Fenton's attention was turned to him. "Well,... Uh... Excuse me... and uh..." He grabbed Sam's arm before he pulled her backwards, running out of the kitchen. "Thanks for the cookies!"

Mrs. Fenton didn't respond; instead, she merely watched as the two teenagers rushed out of the kitchen and up the staircase. Sometimes, she couldn't understand what was going through the heads of teenagers these days.

XXXXXX

After Tucker had dragged her out of the kitchen, Sam had slapped his hand off her wrist before she glared at him. Tucker winced at the venom in her eyes and hastily apologized as he knew that she would begin thinking of ways to 'pay him back' if he didn't. Sam seemed to accept the apology, which relieved Tucker greatly.

It was only a couple of seconds later when the duo arrived at the door to Danny's room and Tucker moved to open it. However, instead of opening like he had expected it to, the door didn't budge a single inch. Tucker tried to open it again before Sam gave it a whack, only for them to get the same results.

Getting a bit worried, both Sam and Tucker then proceeded to push against the door with their bodies, which allowed them to slowly force the door open. When the door was opened wide enough, both teenagers slipped into the room, only to pause at the sight of their friend's room; it looked as if a tornado had run through it.

The floor and walls looked as if they had been cut by a knife in some places while in other places it appeared to have been burned a little bit. Also, there were cracks in the wall near Danny's bed along with some fallen plaster. The only other things of note were the small scraps of paper and clumps of silver, sand-like particles scattered around the room.

"What could've happened here?" Tucker wondered as he looked around Danny's room. "I mean, we would've heard anything downstairs if something happened..."

"I don't know, Tuck..." Sam muttered. "But, I do know that there was a fight; just look at those piles." She gestured towards one of the silver piles and then at some of the paper. "Danny and Sidney probably got into a fight with a Ghost or something." There was a brief pause. "We need to find them, Tucker..."

Tucker turned and looked at his friend with a questioning expression, "And how are we supposed to do that, Sam? Those guys could be anywhere right now!"

"... Tucker, I have something to tell you..." Sam began after another pause, looking away from Tucker. "I should've told you and Danny this after it happened but... something held me back... Maybe I was afraid of telling you guys what happened but—" She sighed. "I have to tell you now. You see... ever since Danny defeated the Lunch Lady... I've noticed some... strange things happening around me."

Tucker remained silent at Sam's explanation.

"I've noticed that... when I'm around Danny, I feel a bit _stronger _somehow..." Sam admitted before she took in a deep breath. "I also see to be able to... 'feel'... where Danny is... even when I have my eyes closed or I'm not looking at him..." She shook her head. "It's really weird... though it seems to have a limit because if I get out of a certain 'range', I can't... 'feel'... where Danny is anymore."

"... I thought I was the only one."

Surprised, Sam spun around to see Tucker looking at her with an unusually serious expression on his face. "Things have been happening to you too?"

"Yeah... Sometimes, when I wanted something on, it would turn on before I could get up. Boy was I surprised when that happened..." At his words, Sam imagined Tucker screaming like he usually did when something surprised him, causing her to smile. "Also, I've been able to find things easier on the internet. I don't have to spend as long looking through pages of stuff to get what I want..."

It had been a bit scary at first, but he had come to accept this new 'ability' without too much fuss; it certainly made doing his life easier. It also helped a lot when he was searching for what the words Danny had supplied meant, as he had been 'provided' with a list of good translators instead of the crappy translators he had used before.

Now though, both friends were staring at each other and digesting the information they had learned from each other. It both confused and reassured Sam, as it meant that these things weren't only happening to her, but confused her as to _why_ these things were happening. Could it have to do with helping Danny train or being around when Danny fought Ghosts?

"... How are we supposed to find them, Sam?" Tucker asked after a moment. "You said that you could 'feel' where Danny was but I know that you can't 'feel' him right now or you would have told me about it! So, how are we supposed to find them, huh?"

Sam flinched. Seeing this caused Tucker to sigh. He hadn't meant to raise his voice but the stress of their situation was getting to them. He didn't know what to do; his best friend and Sidney were out there somewhere. For all he knew, they could be hurt or, or _worse_. The worst part about it was that he didn't seem to be able to do anything to help!

Tucker turned back to Sam and was about to ask her something when he noticed something; Sam was standing in the same 'pose' that Danny had used when he had begun to learn how to use his powers. Tucker's eyes lit up before he was suddenly pushed backwards by an unseen force. Stumbling a bit, Tucker fell onto his knees in shock. Looking up, Tucker was dumbfounded by what he saw.

There were hundreds of thin, white ribbons floating in the air. He could only watch as these ribbons twisted and turned in the air like snakes, finding himself at a loss for words. Just what were those ribbons? Had Sam created them? If so then how?

Sam's right arm suddenly lashed out before it grabbed a pitch-black ribbon that Tucker hadn't seen. Sam then opened her eyes and looked at Tucker with tired eyes, "... It worked, Tuck..." She held up the black ribbon as the other ribbons began to fade from existence. "I can feel Danny now..."

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—The junkyard)

Danny crash-landed against an old, strangely pink minivan which folded under his impact. He grit his teeth from the pain in his back—feeling the numerous pieces of metal that had embedded themselves into his burned flesh—and told himself that it could have been worse.

If he had fallen from that height in his Human form he would've died. It was only his Arrancar form's steel-like skin and bones that had prevented him from becoming an extremely messy paint job on the back of this minivan. Getting up from the broken heap of metal, he winced again as a few pieces of twisted scrap raked against his body. He began pulling out the metal pieces as he looked up, trying to find out where Sidney and Skulker had gone. Not seeing them in the air, he was about to use Pesquisa, only for something to slam into his stomach and send him hurtling backwards.

He—and whatever had hit him—landed back in the same hole that Danny had just gotten out of. He looked up to see what had crashed into him, only to see Sidney who was in really bad shape. It was obvious by the burn marks that he hadn't been able to defend against Skulker once he had been knocked out of the sky, though he had managed to protect the town from Skulker's 'Mega-Fireball'.

"Did you two honestly think that you could beat me? Hah!" Skulker laughed as he came into view again, floating in the air only 50 feet away from Danny and Sidney. His smirk seemed even more cruel then before. "And now that I've defeated the pest... it is time for this hunt to finally end. Armures de Constriction!"

With that, Skulker released an enormous stream of silver particles from his hand towards Danny and Sidney. As the particles flew through the air, they merged together into several tentacles before they spread out to try and surround Danny. Danny cursed before he quickly grabbed Sidney and used Chōkasoku to vanish from view with Sidney. The metal tentacles rammed into the space he had formerly occupied, only for Skulker to roar as his 'prey' had eluded him once again.

While Skulker vented, Danny slowed to a stop a long distance away from where Skulker was before he placed Sidney down behind some broken water heaters so he was out of view. He made sure Sidney was comfortable and turned to leave, only for Sidney to grab the bottom of his pants. "... Be careful, Danny..."

"I will." Danny nodded, which caused Sidney to let go. He then vanished with another use of Chōkasoku and raced towards Skulker's former location while drawing his sword again. Skulker, however, wasn't there, which forced Danny to use Pesquisa and another Chōkasoku to find and catch up to the Ghost.

Finding him standing near the trash compactor, Danny raised his sword high above his head before he brought it down towards Skulker's head, intending to end this in one blow. Skulker seemed to have sensed him however, as he suddenly turned intangible and dodged to the side. Danny's sword cut through the air where Skulker's head been moments ago before it pierced deep into the ground. With a tug, Danny ripped his sword free of its earthen prison and used Chōkasoku to race towards Skulker again.

This time, his sword managed to cut through Skulker's left shoulder before the Ghost turned intangible, causing Danny to lose his balance and stumble through the ghost. Coming to a halt ten feet away from Skulker, Danny turned around and was surprised to see that, instead of blood or Ectoplasm, numerous sparks were emerging from Skulker's shoulder.

If Skulker's body was releasing sparks instead of Ectoplasm, which meant that it wasn't Skulker's real body; it was a fake. If that was true, though, where was Skulker's real body? Was he even fighting the real Skulker or was it something else?

"Damn you, Arrancar!" Skulker cursed as he placed a hand over his wound, a small amount of oil still leaked out from his fingers though. "I should have finished you when I had the chance! Flèches d'argent Cent!"

With that, Skulker released an enormous amount of silver particles from his right arm, which then reformed into hundreds of silver arrows. These arrows quickly zoomed off towards Danny, though they weren't fast enough to catch him before he used Chōkasoku to run away.

Danny came into view again a good thirty feet away from Skulker, only this time he held his sword in his left hand while an ice-blue Cero was charging in his right hand. Skulker didn't have any time to react before Danny moved his hand towards Skulker, with his palm facing out, and released his technique. "Cero!"

"_Shit_."

With that Danny's Cero impacted against Skulker's body before it seemed to consume him in a blaze of blue light. After consuming Skulker, the Cero then continued on towards the ground, burning thirty feet into the ground before it finally dissipated.

Danny waited for a couple of moments; waiting to see if Skulker was going to attack again or give some indication that he was still alive. He relaxed when no such sign came before he turned around and jumped into the air. He was about to use Chōkasoku to go get Sidney when a loud rage filled yell rang throughout the junkyard.

"YOU LITTLE PUNK!"

Hearing this, Danny's eyes widened before he spun just in time for Skulker's metallic fist to crunch against his face. The force of the blow sent Danny hurtling backwards and into a nearby pile of cars that, when he hit them, proceeded to waver before they fell down onto him with a crash.

As the cars fell on him, Danny couldn't help but wonder how was Skulker still alive; hadn't his body been hit and then destroyed by his Cero? Skulker couldn't have dodged it, as he had _seen_ Skulker being hit. So, how could Skulker have survived?

It was only when Danny—sporting numerous new cuts and a large, quickly-forming bruise on his face—got out of the car pile by uses of a quick Cero that he noticed Skulker's terrible condition. He hadn't really been able to get a good luck at him before, as the angry hunter had almost broken his nose him before he had the chance, but he could see him now.

Skulker had numerous mild-to-serious burns scattered all over his body and the Ghost's clothing hung on his body in burned tatters of their former glory. Skulker also had numerous chunks of his body missing which revealed a large amount of circuitry and synthetic muscle underneath the missing skin.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Skulker roared as his flaming hair flared, becoming a dark green while gaining about three inches in height. "I'll kill you for what you've done to me! Corps du Géant (Body of the Giant)!"

With that, Skulker released an enormous wave of Ghost Energy that almost forced Danny to his knees as he shielded his eyes from the sudden gust Skulker's Ghost Energy had kicked up. Danny was barely able to see how most of the objects—metal objects—around him and Skulker gained a green glow. If he possessed a bird's eye view, he would've seen that any and all metallic objects within a 200 meter radius of Skulker had gained that green glow and started floating into the air.

In the next moment, everything with that green glow suddenly lurched forward and raced towards Skulker. Danny was barely able to keep up with the sudden barrage of metal objects that came at him and that was while he was _using_ Chōkasoku.

Skulker raised his uninjured hand and, in an instant, all of the metal froze in mid-air before separating into bite-sized pieces. As soon as that was done, the metal then converged on Skulker, soon concealing the Ghost from sight. The metal then began to build up into a vaguely Human-shaped blob before the metal began to add definition to it as Skulker's new body stood up.

First came the metallic, armor-clad legs and feet and then the waist. This was then followed as Skulker's chest formed before it became armored as well. Skulker then stretched out his arms as his horned head formed, with a magnificent sword being forged after his fingers had formed. The last of the metal was then used to create armor plates on his arms and a helmet for his head, preventing everything except for his eyes and mouth from being seen.

Skulker snapped open his green eyes and locked onto Danny's stunned form. He gripped his sword with force that would crush any ordinary building as his mouth twisted in anger. "I'll make you pay for what you have done _with your life_!"

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Sam and Tucker)

"What was with those ribbon-like things, Sam?" Tucker asked as he and Sam rushed through the darkened streets, panting as he forced his body to keep up with her. "Your body glowed and then all of those ribbons appeared. You grabbed that black one and then said you could 'feel' him again."

Sam didn't answer for a moment, "Unlike the other stuff I told you about, I've only recently found I could make them appear like that by gathering my energy... and I realy don't know that much about them, Tuck..." She paused. "I haven't played with it much becuase it's really exhausting to draw them out... but, I've found that everyone seems have one of these ribbons..."

"Really?"

"I'm pretty sure of it, Tuck... The second time that I did it, I grabbed one ribbon and followed it to where my grandma was taking a nap into her room and then to my mom... So I'm sure that everyone has a ribbon. I hadn't really looked for our ribbons but... I did look for Danny's..." She held up her hand that was clenched around the now-invislbe ribbon of Danny's. "It was easy to find it, since, unlike the others, its black."

Tucker bit his lip in thought but didn't say anything right away. He thought about the reasons why Danny's ribbon would be black, thinking that it may have something to do with Danny being an Arrancar. But, if that was the case, would Ghosts have differently-colored ribbons to?

It was then that Tucker stated to remember all of those odd occurrences that had happened him and Sam ever since Danny had gained his Arrancar powers. This brought on a new question "Sam, what are the colors of our ribbons?"

"… Our ribbons are unique, Tuck." Sam said as she turned her head slightly, lowering her pace until she matched strides with him. "… They aren't black like Danny's… but they're not white either. They're gray."

Tucker was silent, contemplating what Sam had just said. If normal people had white ribbons, and Arrancar like Danny had black ribbons, what did it mean to have a gray ribbon?

XXXXXX

Sam and Tucker had just made it to the junkyard when a familiar, ice-blue beam shot into the sky. The two teenagers looked at each other for a moment before nodding. It was then that both of them rushed over to the chain-link fence that surrounded the junkyard and began to climb it. The fence made jingling sounds as the pair climbed upwards until they made it to the top and leapt towards the ground below.

"Sam where's Danny now?" Tucker asked.

Sam concentrated for a moment before she turned to a specific direction, "I got it, though we may want to hurry. His ribbon is moving fast. Let's move."

Tucker nodded before he started to run towards where she could sense Danny's ribbon to be, Tucker falling into step behind her. They moved until they had to take a quick breather, leaning against the side of a pink minivan as they took in great lungfuls of air.

"Why… is he moving around so much?" Tucker panted. "… Couldn't he… just stay in… one place?"

Sweat poured down Sam's face, "He must have… a good reason for it, Tuck."

"… Sam? T-tucker…?" A familiar voice croaked.

Surprised, Tucker moved aside and opened the door he had just been leaning on. The pair's newest friend, Sidney Poindexter, lay in the driver's seat, looking horrible. Sidney's usually pristine, white outfit was stained with dark-green Ectoplasm that seeped from a large, circular wound on his chest. His hair was matted together with sweat and his eyes were unfocused, his glasses gone. All in all, Sidney looked like he was only minutes away from death's door, again.

"What happened?" Sam whispered.

Sidney didn't move, "D-Danny and I were ambushed… I was ambushed when I-I came into Danny's room, Danny w-when he came u-up the stairs… by a Ghost named Skulker... I m-managed to get free and attacked… we battled for a l-little while before Danny t-taunted… him, and we left…

"After t-that, I caught up with D-Danny… and Skulker ambushed us again… I was taken down… I came back up to h-help when I c-came to… to h-help Danny but Skulker was too strong…I managed to crawl in here after Danny got me out of the fight."

Sam and Tucker looked backed at each other for a moment before they turned back towards Sidney. As one, they both asked the same question.

"How much about this "Skulker" do you know?"

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—The junkyard—Danny vs. Skulker)

Soon after Skulker had formed himself that new body with his Corps du Géant, Danny had found himself in deep trouble. He had quickly discovered that Skulker's new form had greatly increased his strength and that massive sword of his made fighting Skulker close-range a bad choice. After all, he couldn't get within ten feet of Skulker before that thing would try and bisect him.

So, all that left for Danny was long-range. He had tried charging up and then releasing those crescents of energy from his sword towards Skulker, though they only left tiny scratches that quickly healed. This left Danny with only one real technique to use, two if he counted the one he hadn't gotten total control of yet, against Skulker.

Unfortunately, Skulker had realized which technique Danny was thinking about. He seemed hell-bent on not allowing Danny not to charge another Cero, using the bladless side of his sword to send Danny hurtling towards a nearby pile whenever he even _looked_ to be charging one. This had caused numerous new injuries for Danny, though he refused to give up so easily.

So, after getting up from another pile of junk, Danny decided to try his luck. He quickly released a series of crescents from his blade to distract Skulker before he charged up a quick Cero with his left hand. However, Danny's distraction didn't hold up as Skulker came bareling through his attacks and swung his massive sword towards Danny with the intent of cutting the Arrancar in half.

_'Crap! I have to dodge!' _Danny thought before he used Chōkasoku to run behind Skulker, just avoiding the tip of Skulker's blade. Unfortunately by doing this, he almost lost the 'grip' he had on his forming Cero, though he somehow managed to hang onto it.

Skulker's head turned as Danny's Cero finished charging, "You little—!"

"Cero!" Danny announced as he released his Cero, allowing it to race forward and hit Skulker in the face. Skulker was thrown off balance and tumbled backwards before he fell onto an old pile of junk with a mighty boom. Bits of the now-crushed junk were sent into the air alongside a great deal of dust, obscuring Skulker from Danny's view.

_'... I think that bought my some time...'_ Danny panted as he tried to regain some energy.

Unfortunately, Danny wasn't that lucky. Skulker charged out of the cloud of dust with an absurd amount of bite-sized metal pieces clinging to his body but mainly on his face and head. Danny quickly dodged the charging Ghost, and as he dodged Danny could see the metal was being absorbed by Skulker's skin; healing the wounds that his Cero had created.

Skulker stopped and then turned towards Danny, smirking all the while. "Do you see now? Even your precious Cero is worthless to you now as I can simply regenerate from it." Skulker's sword glinted as he turned it in the air slightly, readjusting in his grip. "Now, it's time to finish this hunt!"

With that Skulker charged towards Danny while swinging his sword in a flurry of movements. Danny, being smaller and faster then the berserk hunter ghost, was able to dodge most of the slashes but for the ones that he couldn't dodge he had to block with his sword.

_'Geeze it feels like my arms will be torn off by just _blocking_ him!'_ Danny thought in pain as he blocked another attack.

Another sword strike from Skulker caused Danny to instinctively bring his own sword in preparation for the incoming blow. It was only when Danny saw the sneer on Skulker's face that he realized he had made the wrong move.

Skulker hit him with a brutal spartan kick, creating a sickening bam as his metallic limb met Danny's flesh. Danny himself was forced to release all the air in his lungs as he sailed backwards, a trail of blood flying from his opened mouth. Danny's impromptu flight ended when he crashed into an old 1980's refrigerator. Coughing into his hands a bit, while ignoring the blood that now stained them, Danny pulled himself from the refrigerator and glared at Skulker.

"Don't try and act tough Arrancar; we both know that you are on your last legs." Skulker sneered as his massive form slowly walked towards Danny. "At this point, all that matters is how you can keep me entertained before I decide to end this hunt."

Danny tried to glare at the mechanical Ghost, but he found himself lacking in the strength to do so. '_As much as I hate to admit it… he's right. I'm running out of steam. If I don't finish this fight soon then I'm gonna lose this battle.' _He thought, before he released a sigh. _'It looks like I'm gonna have to use _that_ technique.'_

Gathering up what was left of his spiritual energy Danny sheathed his sword and began to concentrate. When he had gathered enough, he moved the energy to his fists, causing them to start glowing ice-blue in the waning light.

Skulker, not knowing what Danny was doing, planned to finish the fight before Danny could complete his technique. Moving at speeds that should've been impossible for someone of his size, Skulker quickly approached Danny, intending to slice the Arrancar in half. Before his blade could actually touch Danny though, he vanished within another blur of Chōkasoku-enhanced speed.

Appearing a short ways away from Skulker, Danny continued to charge his attack, heedless of Skulker's actions. Skulker, seeing that his attack had failed to connect, tried to hit Danny again and again but the results were the same; Danny would simply use Chōkasoku to move out of the way. Eventually, Skulker lost control of his emotions, again.

"Stop running you sniveling coward!" Skulker roared angrily. "Face me like a real man!"

"You asked for it." Danny said from behind Skulker. Turning around, Skulker could see that both of Danny's hands now held fully-charged Ceros. Unbidden by the sight before him, Skulker took a step backwards. "Forgive me, but I haven't practiced this move a lot… so bear with me if it doesn't meet your standards, Skulker. Cero en Espiral (Zero Spiral)!"

Unleashing both Ceros from his hands, Danny then watched as they started to circle each other before they assumed a loose helix-like shape as they raced towards Skulker. As his technique approached Skulker, Danny knew that Skulker had realized that he couldn't dodge; he simply didn't have the time to do so.

Skulker did, however, have time to say two words before Danny's newest technique hit him. "Oh, crap…"

Danny's technique made an enormous boom as it exploded against Skulker's massive frame. Danny absently noticed that this explosion was much larger than anything he had ever produced before as the winds of his attack blew through his hair. As the smoke from the explosion began to clear, Danny prayed that this fight would finally be over. He didn't have that much, if any, energy left in his body anymore so if this didn't end it then he would be finished.

'_Please...'_ Danny thought pleadingly. _'Please don't let him get up again… Let this battle finally end. Please…'_

However, it appeared as if Danny's pleas were unheard. Skulker lumbered outside of the acrid smoke, looking extremely ** off. He had a right to be angry though, as the majority of his new body was charred with small fires here and there.

"I'll kill you!" Skulker roared furiously

"You've said that a lot of times today, but I'm still alive, aren't I?" Danny wondered why he had said that aloud, as it seemed to make Skulker angrier than he already was, if that was even possible.

Danny didn't have any time to react as Skulker suddenly rushed towards him. He attempted to use another Chōkasoku but was too tired, leading to Skulker batting him away with the flat of his blade. His impromptu flight was ended when he crashed in a pile of old couches. He tried to get back up but his body seemed to ignore his mind.

"So ends the pa—" Skulker gloated as he walked over to Danny, only to be interuppted mid-sentence.

The enormous, yellow arm of a crane had come out of nowhere and just smacked Skulker in the gut. The unexpected blow sent Skulker careening into a far pile of rusted SUVs with a dazed expression on face. Danny looked up weakly and saw the driver of the crane was none other than his friend Tucker.

'_Wait… If Tuck's here, then that means—' _Danny thought.

Sam came into view at that moment, abandoning her previous position behind a stack of old refrigerators as she rushed towards him. When she reached him, Sam slowly helped Danny to his feet, confusing him. What were his friends doing here?

"What are you guys doing here?" Danny asked.

Sam pulled one of his arms to rest over her shoulder as she helped him stand, "We came after we found your trashed room. I'll explain how we found you later… right now we need to get you away from here."

"And I'll keep the Transformer-wannabe over there busy until then." Tucker said, flashing Danny a quick smile. "Quit gawking already, go! Don't worry 'bout me; I've always wanted to fight a Transformer!"

It was at that moment that Skulker got up from the pile of old SUVs, roaring his rage to the world. The Ghost then launched himself towards Tucker's crane, dodged a swipe from it, before he used the hilt of his blade to smash into the bulldozer. He continued to do so, dodging the increasingly frantic swings of the crane's arm, before the machine exploded.

Tucker was sent careening out of the explosion, his body slightly charred, and into a pile of old refrigerators. Danny's eyes widened before they narrowed into slits, an overwhelming sense of white-hot rage beginning to take over.

"Tucker!" Sam yelled, obviously worried for her unconsicous friend.

"You worms believed that you had a chance against me? Hah!" Skulker began to gloat as he approached Sam and Danny. "You weren't even players in this hunt!"

It was then that Skulker swung his sword towards Sam and Danny, causing Sam's eyes to widen. The sword was mere inches away from them when Danny's arm snapped up, catching the blade in a vice-like grip. No matter how hard Skulker pulled at his sword, he was unable to remove it from Danny's hold.

Danny looked up with an unreadable expression on his face, "I'll kill you."

The bone-white chocker that Danny wore began to grow thin, vein-like bones that started spread towards his chest and the back of his head. When these 'veins' reached Danny's face, they dipped into his eyes like tree roots dipping into pools of water. Darkness spread from the submerged veins turning his sclera of Danny's eyes turned black and his irises turning gold.

Even while those 'veins' spread across Danny's body, Danny's fingernails slowly morphed into wicked-looked claws. His posture became hunched as he slowly stood up from the ground, his silver locks hiding his face from view. After a moment, Danny looked up, revealing his rage-filled face.

The next second, Danny moved. He crushed the sword that was within his grip, surprising Skulker and Sam, before he let go of the ruined weapon. Skulker barely had any time to move before Danny was upon him, using his energy-enhanced claws to recklessly tear strip after strip of metal from Skulker's body.

As Danny dug into Skulker's body, the metal that Danny was digging into transformed into silvery, sand-like particles. These particles tried to constrict Danny, but the silver-haired Arrancar was not to be stopped. An ice-blue Cero quickly formed in front of Danny's open mouth, completing itself in less than three seconds.

"Cero lanzas (Zero spears)!"

Instead of his traditional Cero or even Danny's new Cero en Espiral, Danny's technique formed a spherically-shaped sphere as it exploded forward. This spear pierced through all the metal that surrounded the area near Skulker's heart, vaporizing everything in its path until it exploded out from Skulker's back.

This stunned Skulker long enough for him to lose control of his sand-like particles, which then proceeded to fall to the ground in clumps. Skulker didn't have time to reestablish control over the particles as Danny was upon him again, with Danny grabbing his head, claws first.

While he held onto Skulker's head, Danny began to spin around. Skulker's enormous, wounded body followed his own as they span faster and faster, disorienting Skulker as the speed continued to increase. Danny then released Skulker with a powerful toss, sending him flying through the air. The second that Skulker left his hands, Danny began forming a Cero in his hand.

"Cero!"

Danny's Cero ripped through the air directly at Skulker, who had no time to react. Skulker's massive body was then consumed with Danny's Cero, where he began screaming as the Cero began to vaporize his metallic body. The junkyard then became quiet as the battle between the two supernatural beings came to an end.

After a minute had passed, Danny's Cero dissipated, leaving a thick blanket of dark smoke behind. When this smoke cleared, it revealed a heavily-burned figure lying at the bottom of a deep crater. However, the figure at the bottom of the crater was definteltly _not_ Skulker.

* * *

><p>Poindexter's Encyclopedia:<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome to another edition of Poindexter's Encyclopedia!"<p>

As soon as the audience's cheers had died down, Tucker walked out from behind the curtains and onto the stage, dressed in Sidney's Poindexter Encyclopedia attire. Seeing this, the audience began to whisper, wondering where Sidney was and why Tucker was there, wearing Sidney's outfit.

"Hello, folks! My name is Tucker Foley and I'll be filling in for Sidney for this segment." Tucker stated with a smile before he frowned. "Unfortunately, Sidney couldn't be here; Skulker really did a number on him during their fight."

"Boo!"

Now, now... settle down. Settle down, please! Calm—" Tucker paused as the audience stopped 'booing'. "Thank you. Now that you all have calmed down, we'll begin with today's segment; 'Ghost Hunter' Skulker…" He stated before he turned to the screen behind him, pressing the button on the remote he had.

The screen came alive with a full-body shot of Skulker's original metallic form. Tucker walked up to the picture before he took out a long, white pointing stick from nowhere before he tapped the screen to draw everyone's attention to it.

"Because of his normally frail and pathetically weak Ghost body, Skulker has used his control over Nano-bots to create body-armor that is attached to his central nervous system." Tucker said to his now-silent audience. "That is why he is able to feel pain even while his main body isn't damaged."

Tucker then tapped the screen with his white rod, causing a new picture to take form on the screen. It was a picture of a cloud of silvery Nano-bots flying from Skulker's outstretched hands, towards a target that wasn't on the screen.

"Skulker's power, 'Millions d'armures (Million armor)', allows him to produce billions of Nano-bots from his body and control them. He can manipulate them into various forms, limited only by his imagination." Tucker said, the screen flashing through numerous pictures of Skulker's attacks.

"Excuse me?"

Tucker looked towards the front row of his audience, where a fair-skinned teenager with blonde hair was trying to get his attention. He smiled. "Yes Star?"

Star bit her lip, "Could you explain how Skulker is able to control metal?"

"Oh, that. Now folks, Skulker's control over metal is his "Millions d'armures's" strongest but most energy-taxing ability. He mostly uses it as a last resort, when he believes himself to be losing in a 'Hunt'…"

"What are you doing, whelp?" A familiar voice demanded.

Tucker turned, eyes widening, to see Skulker stalking towards him with an angry expression on the Ghost's face. As soon as he saw the Nano-bots rising from Skulker's skin, he panicked and ran shrieking from the room. He didn't want to die, becoming one of Skulker's so-called "trophies"!

"… Does he know he's running towards the Lunch Lady's dressing room?" Skulker wondered aloud as he bent up and picked up Tucker's discarded P.D.A. "Looks like he dropped it when he ran… it's mine now….."

"GAHHHHHHH! NO!" Tucker screamed. "NOT THE VEGATABLES! PLEASE, ANYTHING BUT THEM! ANYTHING!"

"VEGATABLES ARE GOOD FOR YOU! NOW EAT!"

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Millions d'armures (Million armor): Skulker's power. It allows him to both create and control nanobots in a variety of different ways. He is only limited in how he uses this power by his imagination and his amount of Reiryoku.

2. Flèches d'argent Cent (One-hundred silver arrows): Using his Millions d'armures, Skulker can produce nanobots that will then come together to form 100 arrow-shaped projectiles that will zoom towards an enemy at high speeds. Even one of these arrows have the ability to puncture steel, which can make this a deadly attack if Skulker's opponent cannot dodge.

3. Armes d'Argent (Arms of Silver): Using his Millions d'armures, Skulker can use his nanobots to form a pair of arms like Sidney's Poing Juge or a grouping of smaller arms to overhwelm foes. This technique is mainly used by Skulker to either injure or capture his 'prey'. At any moment it could be dissolved into nanobots by Skulker, surprising the enemy, before he uses the nanobots for anyother attack.

4. Corps du Géant (Body of the Giant): Skulker's ultimate 'Battle Form' that is created when Skulker uses his Millions d'arures ability to control metal. He effects all of the metal within a certain radius of himself and then forces the metal into bite-sized pieces, which will then converge on him before begining to form his new body. While this body greatly increases Skulker's power and durability, its weight greatly lowers his speed.

5. Cero en Espiral (Zero spiral): A variation of Cero that Danny Fenton has come up with during his short time as an Arrancar. To use it, Danny makes a Cero in each hand before launching them towards and enemy while using his control over the two Ceros to force them into a double helix-like shape. This greatly increases the power of the technique as well as giving it some drill-like properties.

6. Cero lanzas (Zero spears): A variation of the traditional standard that Danny Fenton first displayed while in his 'Beserker Form'. Instead of the traditional beam, Cero lanzas is made by condensing a Cero into the shape of a vaguely spear-like shape. It is considered a one-hit kill technique because of the great piercing power it possesses due to its shape, though those with high enough defenses may be able to survive it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **This chapter was updated as of 7/12/2012.


	10. Chapter 10:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter 10:<p>

* * *

><p>(Illinois—Amity Park—The junkyard)<p>

Unknown to the participants of the recent fight, someone else had been in the junkyard and had watched the battle from start to finish. The figure had been quite interested in Danny's variants of Cero, as few Hollows or Arrancar actually took the time to develop any. The majority of them just preferred to use the traditional Cero or, in the case of Vasto Lordes and Arrancar, the Gran Ray Cero.

"Heh, the next generation will be powerful indeed."

There, sitting on top of a throne made out of sand, was the masked compatriot of Clockwork. He had been there since the battle had started and had been watching Danny's actions with rapt attention. When Danny had gone "berserk" the grin of his mask seemed to get wider, if that was even possible.

"Well, well, well it looks like 'that' power is still alive." The masked man mused. "Good, it looks like Clockwork was right after-all."

The battle had come to a halt now, and Clockwork's associate knew that things were wrapping up when Danny had hit Skulker in mid-air with his Cero. Lightly snapping his fingers, the figure's throne dissolved into thousands of small, transparent sand particles. The sand particles then flew from around the masked man and began spreading to encompass the majority of the junkyard.

The masked figure stared blankly ahead he watched his sand begin absorbing the ambient Ghost Reiatsu—turning green or black, depending on who's Spiritual Energy the sand absorbed. "Now," The masked man muttered, leaning forward on what was left of his throne. "Let's see how you'll react to Skulker's true form… young Fenton."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Skulker)

As the dust settled down, Danny felt the red haze that had been engulfing his mind begin to fade. The bone-like 'veins' slowly began to receed back to his choker while his eyes faded back to their original coloring. It was a couple seconds later before Danny slumped over slightly from the sudden rush of exhaustion that his still muddled mind felt.

"D-Danny?"

The sound of Sam's voice cleared away the last remnants of his former rage, allowing Danny to bring himself back to reality. His eyes regained their light and reason before they started darting around, glancing at the destruction with confusion. Seconds later, he was clutching his head in pain, as it felt like something was trying to break its way out of his skull.

"S-Sam?" Danny asked through his sudden headache. "W-What happened?"

Sam looked at him for a moment with something he had never seen in her eyes, fear; not for him but because of him. Danny reached out towards Sam for a moment before he noticed his newly grown claws. He recoiled at the sight; his hands appeared to have changed, with his fingernails having lengthened into viscous, bone-white claws that looked like they could rend steel. Danny then held his claws up to the waning light of the sun and could see that they were covered in the silver particles that Skulker had used and what looked like specks of Ectoplasm.

"Wha-? I d-don't understand..."

Sam tentatively stepped towards Danny, and he noticed that the fear still hadn't left her eyes. "Danny… you attacked Skulker… but… you weren't y-you. You used… two Ceros against him… and he fell to the ground…"

It was all coming back to Danny now; Skulker's ambush and attempted kidnapping, him and Sidney fleeing the house, and how Sidney was taken out in a surprise attack. He remembered the ensuing conflict between him and Skulker, how he was gradually losing ground until Sidney arrived to help him. He remembered how he and Sidney had fought together before Skulker had taken him down, and how Sidney had fallen shortly afterwards trying to slow Skulker down. He remembered how he had promised Sidney that he would be careful when he went back to fight Skulker, and how fruitless his efforts had been, once Skulker had transformed.

Danny couldn't remember much after that though. He remembered that Tucker had attacked Skulker with a bulldozer, and that Sam had tried to get him away as Skulker destroyed Tucker's bulldozer. After that though... nothing.

It was like he had been in a lucid dream and like a dream when he had woken up, he couldn't remember what he dreamed of.

Hearing a noise behind him, Danny twirled around, drawing his sword as he did so fully expecting Skulker to try and impale him on his sword. What he saw almost caused Danny to drop his sword in shock. Skulker was lying on the ground not even 100 feet away, though he looked nothing like the Skulker that Danny had known and fought against.

Skulker's formerly flowing, flame-like green hair had become like burning straw, slowly smoldering from the heat that was once a fire. His skin was pale as bone, and he had deep dark bags under his murky, dark-green eyes. Danny could count every bone in Skulker's body now since his skin was stretched over them, giving each a clear outline. Extending from the base of his skull and from his wrists were small lengths of wires that gave off the occasional spark.

Danny winced at the sight of the emaciated Ghost in front of him; bile flowing up his throat as a sense of _wrongness_ began to overcome him. He didn't know what to think at the sight, or how he should react to this.

"Heh, what's wrong Arrancar?" Skulker covered his mouth as he began to cough violently. Ectoplasm leaked through his enclosed fingers when he pulled them away, staining his hands a dark-green color. "Can't stand the sight of your own work?"

Danny backed up a step, barely aware of Sam's presence nearby, "My work…?"

Skulker was silent for a moment before he chuckled darkly—the force of his laughter shaking his frail body.

"You can't possibly have forgotten already, have you? After that pathetic friend of yours was knocked aside, you underwent a transformation; you went completely insane… and became a real beast." Skulker's face now possessed an ear-to-ear grin, made more sickening by the Ectoplasm staining teeth. "It was… inspiring."

"You're a monster." Sam spat at Skulker, startling Danny, since he had forgotten she was there.

"I'm no monster, you naïve little girl." Skulker stated with a brief glance at Sam. "Monsters are merely beasts that can't control their own actions…" He paused as another fit of coughs overtook him. "I on the other hand, can control my own actions, unlike the young Arrancar here." He looked at Danny. "No, I'm not a mere monster." Skulker looked at the two teenagers gleefully, his smoldering hair becoming a tad bit brighter. "I'm a Hunter."

Sam crossed her arms, "What's the difference?"

"A Hunter is someone who kills for the thrill of the Hunt. A Hunter brings down prey that is naturally stronger than the Hunter through tactics and superior technology. A monster is something that kills or destroys without thinking… without mercy." Skulker paused for a moment before he looked towards Danny. "That Arrancar may not look like it, but he is a monster… his whole race are monsters."

Danny's head lowered as he looked away—not wanting to hear anymore. Sam, on the other hand, had a look of pure murder on her face.

"How _dare_ you? How dare you just kneel there and… and _preach_ about how Danny is a monster when you're much worse than he could _ever_ be? Danny had no choice in what he's become! It was my fault he's the way he is now!" Sam yelled as her fists clenched in fury and her eyes began to water. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have effectively turned your best friend into something you know nothing about?"

At this point, Sam choked back a sob, even though she did start to cry. Danny looked at her with surprise on his face, never having guessed what Sam must've been feeling all this time. '_Why didn't you tell us you felt this way, Sam?'_

Tears continued to pour down Sam's face as the black-haired girl took a deep breath. She then glared at Skulker with anger in her eyes before she spoke once again.

"But… even though he's confused and frightened of his powers, he still uses them to help others. Even though it puts him in grave danger every time he fights, he still goes out every day and night to help all those who can't help themselves." Sam glared at Skulker furiously. "So don't you _dare_… don't you even _think_ about calling Danny a monster!"

Danny was stunned and touched at Sam's words of faith in him. He hadn't known that she held him in such high esteem—when he himself had his doubts. But he did know that—after this ended—he, Sam, and Tucker were going to have a long talk.

Danny was brought back to reality by Skulker who released a deep ragged cough that stain the earth in front of him with his Ectoplasm. Once his fit subsided Skulker began to do something that Danny did not expect him to do; he laughed. "He… he he… HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

It seemed that whatever little sanity that Skulker possessed had been worn away. It was further empathized by the wiring that sprouted from his body as they violently began to whip around like angry snakes.

"You kids… you kids are just too funny! Acting like you understand how the world works and spouting such words filled with your 'hope' and 'conviction'!" Skulker looked at the two teenagers. "_This world isn't a fair one!_ Nothing turns out like it should and the good die young…... just like _him_."

Skulker paused for a second as some sanity returned to his eyes and—for the first time—Danny could see something besides aggression in them. He could see a deep longing for something or someone, sadness, and an untold amount of pain.

"But I do suppose that I do owe you one, Arrancar." Danny's face took on a confused look, as he didn't know why Skulker would thank him. "If I hadn't decided to hunt you then I wouldn't have had a chance to study that marvelous portal that your parents built…"

Skulker lifted one of his wire-covered arms into the air before he thrust it straight down, into the hard earth beneath him. When his fingers reached the ground, they encountered no resistance; it was as if they were submerged into water. "Passerelle au purgatoire (Gateway to Purgatory)."

From Skulker's submerged wrist came a dark and white liquid that seeped out of the wounds on his arm. When the two liquids hit the ground they started to spread outwards, violently churning and twisting around each other as they did so, forming a whirlpool of darkness and light. Skulker started to slowly sink into the whirlpool, smirking all the while.

"You may have eluded me this time Arrancar, but this hunt is far from over! In fact it has only just begun…"

When Skulker had fully submerged, the whirlpool dissolved into black and white smoke; leaving nothing behind on the ground. Danny found himself staring at the spot where Skulker had been previously—not knowing what he was supposed to do now. After a few moments of tense silence, Sam spoke up.

"Danny, are you alright?"

Danny was silent for a few seconds before he sighed, "No Sam, I don't think I'm alright… But, that doesn't matter right now; Tucker and Sidney need our help."

Sam didn't say anything in response to Danny's statement—merely walked a bit behind Danny as they went to retrieve Tucker. What neither of the two teenagers noticed though was a strange, metallic Lava Lamp that had fallen from Skulker's body when Danny had destroyed it. They also didn't notice how it was now glowing with a bright green light. As they walked away from it, small cracks had started to appear on the surface,which allowed a single drop of dark green liquid to fall onto the ground below.

XXXXXX

The masked man looked on as Danny and Sam went off to retrieve their friends, feeling both pleased and saddened at the same time. He was impressed that Danny had been able to defeat Skulker, though the boy was almost defeated himself, as Skulker was one of the more powerful individuals among the newer generation of Ghosts.

He was saddened though because of the issues that Danny and his friends were going through, or would be going through. As an accomplice of Clockwork, he knew that this battle was nothing compared to the fights that the three children would be force to face in the future. Even though he didn't like having teenagers fight battles that they knew nothing about, he knew that if young Danny didn't become stronger, then all could be lost.

_'May whatever deity maybe listening, please forgive my sins for I cannot.'_ The masked man thought as he looked upwards, a frown hidden underneath his mask.

The masked man was immobile for a few moments, he had one more item of business to take care of before he could leave. He then sighed deeply before he snapped his fingers once again, recalling all of his scattered sand particles back towards himself. The sand particles swirled around above his hand for a moment before transforming into a beautiful glass rose that glowed with a red light, which the masked man held by the stem. Pausing for a moment to examine the rose, the masked man idly thought about his past.

_'What am I now? Once I was a man, then I was an ideal; now all I am is...Cinq._'

The Ghost, now known as Cinq, started to turn into sand with the oncoming winds of night. As the last of the sand blew away, a small tune could be heard on the wind. _'Rappelez-vous, souvenez-vous du cinquième de Novembre._'

XXXXXX

Danny and Sam found Tucker lying amongst the disturbed pile of old refrigerators that Skulker had hurled him into. It took them a minute or two to reach their friend** but**, when they did reach him, they were both startled by the condition that he was in.

All in all, for being in an explosion Tucker was pretty well off, injury wise. The explosion that Tucker had been in had left him with some burns and scrapes on his body along with a few lumps here and there but nothing serious. Sam thought that he might have a concussion—as he had seemed to hit those refrigerators pretty hard—but, without a doctor present, they couldn't be sure.

The two teenagers managed to wake up Tucker after a couple of moments and were happy to see him awake, despite the complaints that he made. Danny and Sam then helped Tucker get up by offering him their shoulders, which he graciously accepted. After they helped Tucker to his feet, they began to navigate their way out of the pile of refrigerators and towards the general vicinity to which Sidney was hidden in.

When they reached Sidney, Danny left Sam to support Tucker while he went into the vehicle to get Sidney. He had been extremely relieved to find that Sidney wasn't bleeding anymore and that the Ghost's wounds were slowly beginning to close, though he was worried about how pale Sidney was.

Sidney opened his eyes when he heard Danny's footsteps, "... Danny?"

"Yeah, it's me, Sidney. Just hold on for a moment; I'm gonna come in and get you out of there**.**" Danny said as he slowly grabbed Sidney by the waist, lifting the Ghost over his shoulder, before he slowly crawled out of the vehicle.

XXXXXX

After making sure that Sidney was alright for now, the Amity Trio had realized that they needed to get somewhere safe. It was upon Sam's suggestion that they go to her house, which she had never invited them to before today**, **that they left the junkyard with Sam leading the way. The quartet quickly travelled the distance until they had entered Amity Park proper, where they had to be careful unless they wanted to be seen. They didn't want to be caught as beaten and blood-splattered they were—as that would raise uncomfortable questions. Questions that they would't be able to answer.

It was 20 minutes later when both Danny and Tucker began to notice something. Every house that they passed by seem to grow larger and more extravagant with all sorts of insane attachments to them. When they passed by the house with the helicopter pad attached to the roof, both of them realized that Sam was leading them towards the rich section of town.

"Err, Sam? Where are we heading?" Tucker asked as they passed by a truck-boat-truck.

Sam looked back at her friends for a moment before she turned back to the direction that she was walking, "We're heading to my house Tuck."

"Then what are we—" Tucker asked, only to be interrupted.

"We're here." Sam suddenly stated as she stopped in front of the final house on the lane.

The house was huge, easily four stories tall and just as wide. The siding of the house was a vivid, light-blue in color with a dark-gray roof. It also had multiple windows that dotted the front and sides of the house—each of them positioned in an orderly fashion.

Surrounding this house was a 10-foot tall iron fence that separated the Amity Trio, and Sidney, from the house's enormous yard. The yard itself was immaculate, with a few tasteful decorations here and there, and a gravel path that led straight towards the house.

"Sam!" Danny and Tucker shouted—eyes wide as they looked towards their best friend. "You… You live in a MANSION?"

Sam frowned as she looked away, "Yeah. My great grandpa invented that deli toothpick cellophane twirler… and my family has been living off of the money he earned ever since."

Danny and Tucker were confused, beyond the fact that they had no idea what the heck was a 'Deli Toothpick Cellophane Twirler' was, but they put their confusion aside. For now, they needed a way to get into Sam's house without being found out by Sam's parents. Going in through the front door obviously wouldn't work.

"How are we going to get inside Sam? I don't think your parents would like us dragging in a bleeding Ghost into their house…" Danny said to his friend as he stared at her.

Sam's frown slowly turned into a smirk before she motioned for them to follow her. The two teenagers shrugged before they followed Sam until they were facing the eastern section of Sam's house, where she suddenly stopped. Before either Danny or Tucker could ask her why she had stopped, Sam moved to the iron fence before she wiggled four iron bars out of their places.

Danny and Tucker smiled before they went through the opening that Sam had made, with Danny being careful not to jostle Sidney too much. After they had made it through, Sam picked up the bars before she too crossed over and placed them back into their positions afterwards. When that was done, the quartet quickly moved towards Sam's house, making sure to be as silent as they possibly could.

Once the quartet had gotten to the side of Sam's house, the black-haired girl pried open one of the windows with a hairpin. Danny made sure that he had a good grip on Sidney before he climbed through the window. Tucker then came through the window not ten seconds later, with Sam following him through the window not a second later.

The quartet then proceeded to pad their way down the hallway, with Sam once again taking lead of the group. As the group travelled, Tucker and Danny got glimpses of many different portraits depicting members of Sam's family.

In one photo was a fairly young couple, who were standing in front of a Hawaiian Tiki idol with pink puka-shell necklaces around their necks. The woman in this photograph was fair-skinned with purple eyes and orange-colored hair that ended her shoulders. She was wearing a beautiful pink sundress which only seemed to accent her natural beauty and a pair of pink flip-flops. The man in the photograph had short, straw-colored hair and dark-blue eyes. He was wearing an ironed white shirt with a pair of tan khaki pants, along with a pair of dark-blue sandals. The only other thing of note about this man was the logo on his white shirt, which was too small for Danny to see properly.

Another photo showed the same couple from the original photo, except the woman had a slightly rounded stomach, and an elderly woman who was sitting in a wheelchair, whom had one of her hands on the younger woman's stomach. The photo after that showed a young, black-haired girl in a pink sundress who looked like she wanted to rip the dress off and burn it.

Danny and Tucker saw many different photos that showed the progression of time, as that black-haired girl in the sundress eventually grew up into the Sam they knew. Coming up to the end of the hallway, Danny saw a single end table with a framed photo on the table top.

It was an old black and white photo that was slightly faded, but Danny could still make the out the people in the picture. Standing outside what looked to be condemned building was a black-haired woman alongside two children, who Danny assumed to belong to her. The woman must have been a relative of Sam's since they shared a few facial features with each other, but she had much longer hair than Sam, which ended in the middle of her back. This woman was also wearing a patched-up dress and worn-looking black slippers.

On the woman's left was a teenage boy with shoulder-length, black hair and dark eyes that only seemed to accent his dirtied face. He was wearing a patched-up shirt that tucked into his semi-clean, dark trousers.

On the woman's right was a teenage girl with a similar shade of hair to the woman, the weird thing was that she could've been passed off as Sam's twin. The only things that were different about them was that she had shoulder-length hair, and was wearing a dirtied dress.

'_Hmm, I wonder who those people are. Why does that girl look so much like Sam?' _Danny thought as they moved past the picture.

Not having time to ponder this question, the silver-haired Arrancar filed it away in his head along with the numerous other questions that had formed since he had seen Sam's house. After a few more twists and turns through the hallways, Sam stopped, mid-stride, in front of a pitch-black door.

"We're here." Sam said as she opened the door to her room.

Sam's room was mostly like Danny and Tucker had envisioned it to be whenever they had imagined what it may have looked like: the walls were painted a gothic shade of purple, with posters of lesser-known bands and spider-webs littering it. Around the room there were a couple of bookcases full of books about poetry, the environment, and even one book about 'How to properly protest'. A large computer sat on top of a large desk, which was only a few feet away from an enormous plasma screen television.

The only odd thing about the room was the small, penguin plushy on Sam's gothic-looking bed. It had purple feathers with a white underbelly, yellow beak, and beady purple-colored eyes. The plushy also had a pair of purple bat-wings on its back, a tan pouch around it's waist, and two peg-legs where its feet would normally be. All in all, it looked like the perfect plushy for Sam; it was an endangered animal but it was also different at the same time.

"Put Sidney on my bed, Danny." Sam said as she started to look for anything the could use to patch Sidney up with.

Danny nodded before he walked over to Sam's bed, where he gently laid Sidney down. It was only a moment or two later when Sidney groaned weakly and opened his eyes. The Ghost went as if to move but Danny stopped him, as Sidney was in no condition to be moving.

Sidney had multiple burns littering his body along with several lumps and bruises, which varied in a wide range of colors. However, the most serious injury Sidney had at the moment was the enormous, bleeding hole in the middle of Sidney's chest. While it had stopped bleeding as much, and appeared to be closing around the edges a little bit, it was still bleeding none the less.

"Don't move, Sidney…" Danny could feel the guilt eating away at him as he said this, as Sidney wouldn't be in this condition if it wasn't for him. Sure they had only known the odd Ghost for a little more then a day but he already began too grow on them. "… Skulker hurt you really bad, but… we're going to help you get better, okay?"

Sidney tried to nod his head in acknowledgement but could only nod his eyes since his head couldn't move. The silver-haired Arrancar then nodded once to himself and turned his head towards Tucker and Sam, who were coming towards the bed, Sam holding onto a first-aid kit.

"I don't know how much good this will do Danny, but…" Sam opened her first-aid kit as she said this, before rummaging around inside of it.

As Sam began to pull things outside of her first-aid kit, Sidney's eyes circled the room. He eventually came to spot the strange penguin doll only half a foot away from him. Sidney's form then started to waver, turning into a light green smoke, which shocked the teenagers present.

"Sidney!"

Danny, Sam, and Tucker all felt an intense sense of fear as they stared at Sidney's rapidly evaporating body. They didn't know what to do, as none of them had ever been in a situation like this before.

"We need to do somet—!" Tucker began, only to stop mid-word when he saw the green smoke was beginning to move. "Uh?"

As though guided by some unseen wind, the smoke started to move towards the stuffed animal lying on Sam's bed. The smoke slowly began to seep into the fabric of the plushy, even as Sidney's form became fainter and fainter before it disappeared altogether.

The penguin plushy then started to shudder, as though it was someone who was just waking up. It then slowly blinked open its eyes, twisted its head around, before it looked towards the stupefied teenagers in front of it.

"Why are you cats staring at me like that?" The plushy asked with Sidney's voice.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—In the junkyard)

Now that the battle between Skulker and Danny had finally come to an end, the junkyard had become quiet once more. The small creatures that lived in the junkyard slowly ventured out of their hiding places and, finding no trace of those strange energies, went on with their lives.

One small mouse scampered over to the broken remains of a Lava Lamp, which had continually leaked dark-green slime until now. Its whiskers twitched before it went to lick the puddle of dark-green liquid, as it was quite thirsty.

Before the mouse could even lower its head though, a gloved fist shot out of the dark-green liquid and hit it in the face. The force of the blow sent the mouse careening through the air as it squeaked in distress and then crashing into a pile of garbage.

"You think I'd let you drink me?" Technus demanded as his body slowly reformed from the dark-green puddle, causing it to slowly shrink. "Well, think again!"

The mouse squeaked from sheer terror before it turned tail and ran in the other direction. Technus smiled before he proceeded to look around at his surroundings. His grin grew before he began laughing, as he was in the Human World once more.

"Wonderful, that fool Skulker not only loses to that newborn Arrancar but he managed to get me into the Human World undetected." Technus became intangible as he said this before he made his way into Amity Park. "Now I can begin may plans, and no one will stop me."

* * *

><p>Omake #2: Kaizō Konpaku "Kon" vs. Chash123:<p>

* * *

><p>At the moment, Chash123, or Chash, was madly typing away at his keyboard when the door to his room was thrown open by? Chash spun around in his chair, only to come face-to-face with a furious... yellow lion plushy? "Who are you, plushy-san?"<p>

The lion plushy seemed to get more ticked off, "I'm Kon you big jerk! And I want to know why I haven't been given any screen-time! I'm an important character!"

"Hm? Kon... I'm an avid fan of Bleach, but I don't remember ever seeing you before." Chash paused to scratch his chin while he thought. "Oh! You must be one of those Mod-Souls from the filler arc about those Bount characters..."

"WHAAATTTT?" Kon started to wave his arms frantically. "HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW _ME?_ I'm practically the mascot of the entire series! They have an entire section of the franchise dedicated to me!"

Chash looked at Kon like he was crazy, "I would think the mascot for Bleach would be someone important but loveable... someone like Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Nel Tu or even that spirit-girl from the first episode of the series."

Kon fell to his hands and knees in shock, a cloud of depression forming over his head. "Rukia-neechan, how can you do this to me?" Looking up, anime tears fell from his eyes. "What else can I do besides being adorable and loved by millions for being a trademark character?"

It was at this point that Sidney Poindexter, in his new Penguin plushy body walked into the room, holding a script for Chapter Eleven. "Um, sorry to interupt you, Chash-san but... I have some questions as to what I'll be doing next.

Kon's depression immediately evaporated at the sight of the new plushy.

"YOU, YOU CAN'T BE SMALL AND ADORABLE. I'M THE ADORABLE ONE." Kon pulled out a large double-sided broadsword and gripped it's handle tightly. He began to run at Sidney. "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE PLUSHY CHARACTER!"

**BOOM!**

A bolt of lightning hit the sword setting Kon on fire. The lion plushy screamed for a couple of moments before he fell to the ground, swirls in his eyes. Sidney was confused, and about to ask Chash what had just happened, when he saw the man smirk.

"It's true that there can only be only character, what's-your-name… but you forget that I can control everything here." Chash stated darkly before he brightened. "Besides, Penguin Sidney is so much cuter than you!"

Kon groaned miserably.

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

* * *

><p>1. <span>Passerelle au purgatoire (Gateway to Purgatory)<span>: A technique that Skulker created after he studied the Fenton's Ghost Portal for a couple of days. This technique causes two differently colored liquids—one black and one white—to seep out of the user's body and onto the ground. These two liquids swirl around each other until they resemble a whirlpool, which is when the portal is complete and the user can enter it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **This chapter was updated as of 7/17/2012.


	11. Chapter 11:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><p>

Legend:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Eleven:<p>

* * *

><p><p>

"Why are you cats staring at me like that?" Sidney asked as he stared at the three stunned expressions of his friends' faces through the plastic lenses that made up the dolls eyes.

After Sidney finished his question, silence descended on the room; Danny, Sam, and Tucker each tried to shake off their sudden confusion from the odd sight in front of them. It didn't take very long before their brains rebooted and questions began to fly from their opened mouths.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"How are you in the plushy?"

Sidney held up his ha—err, his new flipper to try and stop the sudden deluge of questions that were being thrown at him, "Stop! I-I can't answer you cats' q-questions unless you stop asking them! Please, you cats are really blowing your tops off!"

Danny, Tucker, and Sam stopped talking before they looked at each other for a moment, allowing Sidney to breathe a little easier. After a moment, it was silently decided that Sam would ask the first question, so she turned away from her friends and looked straight at Sidney.

"Why are you in my Prinny plushy?" Sam crossed her arms as she asked this question, an expectant expression on her face.

"M-my body was wounded pretty badly by Skulker, usually I would use my e-ectoplasm to heal myself, but I used most of it up in the fight. Normally maintaining my f-form requires a small amount of passive energy, but if I p-possess an inanimate object, I can use that energy to h-heal myself." Sidney answered.

As Sidney was saying this, he tried to stand up on the bed only to fall down as he wasn't used to his new peg-legs. He kept up at this until he finally managed it, though his peg-legs were wobbly and he had to lean on Sam's pillow for some support.

"How can you heal yourself?" Tucker asked with a confused expression on his face. "I mean, your just hiding in that plushy…"

"My body is made o-out of ectoplasm, so I can c-control it even in this body. Normally I would wait for my ectoplasm to regenerate on its own but because of my wounded state I couldn't heal fast enough. Fortunately while I'm in this plushy, I can focus on healing and a-absorbing some residual ectoplasm that's in the air. And since ectoplasm g-gathers around areas with a lot of emotions, I j-just need to be around a large place that generates a lot of e-emotions… I'll use them to draw forth r-residual ectoplasm and heal myself with it." Sidney answered, almost falling over as he adjusted his footing on the soft bed.

"Residual ectoplasm?" Danny asked. "I though you said that ectoplasm only existed within the Ghost Zone."

Sidney nodded, "I did… but, I-I've noticed that there is some traces of ectoplasm in the air of this town; it's mostly a-at your school and Danny's h-house."

Danny's eyes widened in realization; those two places were where he, Sam, and Tucker had fought all of the Ghosts. He had fought the Lunch Lady and Sidney at his school, while he and Sidney had fought against Skulker in his room.

"L-looks like Danny got it." Sidney observed before he stopped trying to walk, plopping down onto Sam's comforter.

"Got what?"

Sidney unzipped his new fanny-pack and began rummaging around inside of it, "You guys h-have fought against Ghosts at your s-school and I helped Danny against S-Skulker at his house… and at the j-junkyard."

"So, how does that relate to there being residual ectoplasm?" Tucker asked.

Sam finally put the pieces together, "Sidney, whenever Danny fights a Ghost, they both use a lot of energy. Does… does that energy stay around, even after the fight's over and they've left?"

"I t-think so… but I've never seen it f-first hand before." Sidney replied.

"Oh my God! I forgot to lock the window!" Sam cried after a moment, eyes widening in realization. "If my parents find it…. C'mon, we need to get moving! Tucker you stay here and take care of Sydney, me and Danny will take care of the window."

Then without any warning whatsoever, Sam quickly grabbed Danny's arm and dragged him out in the hall, not even allowing him to stand back up. She then proceeded to pull Danny with her, dragging him face first across the floor, as she ran like a woman possessed. Even as Sam ran she ignored the muffled protest that Danny was trying to say as he was dragged across the carpeting of her home.

The two teenagers had made it through a few hallways and passed a few dozen doors before the black-haired girl had finally slowed down, eventually stopping in the middle of a hallway. Danny got up from the floor and rubbed his sore face, still red from being pulled along the ground.

"Why didn't you listen to me Sam? I told you that I'd already locked that window." Danny asked as he stopped rubbing his sore face and looked towards his female best friend.

Sam was silent for a moment before she sighed, "We need to talk Danny."

XXXXXX

-San Diego: Amtrak train station-

Tia Harribel leaned against a hard brick wall as she waited for the next train to Nevada to arrive. Even when she was in a seemingly relaxed state, she was keeping an eye out for any potential threats towards her or her three Fracción. Finding nothing currently amiss, the blonde-haired Arrancar allowed herself to relax slightly, shifting to get into a more comfortable position on the wall.

As the minutes wore, on Apacci sighed from her position on another nearby bench, "I wish we could just find the Arrancar that Aizen-sama wanted us to find already. It's already been a month and a half since we started looking and we're no closer to finding it then when we started."

"Aww… are you tired Apacci?" Mila-Rose asked with a smirk, leaning forward on the back of the bench in front of Apacci that she and Sung-Sun were sitting on. "Do you need to take a nap, baby?"

"Shut up Mila-Rose! The only reason you're happy is because you got hit on by that guy with the stupid name in Santa Barbara!" Apacci retorted.

Mila-Rose stood up from the bench, a furious expression on her face.

"You leave Gus out of this! Besides, I bet you're angry because no one bothered to hit on you with that child-like body of yours!" Mila-Rose shouted.

Apacci's eyes narrowed into slits as she stood up as well, "Child-like body? How dare you call me that you stupid cow!"

"Stupid cow! Why I outta—" Mila-Rose shouted, only to be interrupted as Sung-Sun pulled the back of her shirt downwards, sending her falling back into her seat.

"It is unladylike to be yelling so loudly." Sung-Sun stated calmly, seeming to be unaware of Mila-Rose's heated gaze. "It makes us all seem weak and incompetent, well…" Sung-Sun turned her head to gaze at Mila-Rose and Apacci, "… most of us anyways."

"I dare you to say that again!"

In a very rare occurrence, Tia tuned out her fracción's argument, which steadily grew in volume and threats, and turned her attention to her own thoughts.

_'Apacci's right; this mission is taking way too long. We're wasting precious time with every day that we search for this Arrancar, time that we could be using far more effectively.'_ Tia frowned, before she spared a glance to her still-quarreling Fracción. _'They need more time to master their Resurreccións and gain control of Ayon. As it is, they are only a threat when they work together… but any Seated Shinigami officer would give them trouble. They need to get stronger if they are to participate in the upcoming war...let alone survive it.'_

"Attention passengers, the 6:00 PM train to Las Vegas, Nevada will be arriving in ten minutes."

Tia looked up when she heard this announcement from over the intercom, though it was slightly hard to hear because her fracción were still arguing.

"Mila-Rose, Apacci, Sung-Sun… stop arguing this instant."

At her command, all three of her fracción stopped their childish bickering mid-squabble, mouths hanging slightly open before they closed it. The three of them then looked down to the floor in apparent shame for their quarrel.

Tia let out a breath of hot air, "It's not that I'm mad at you three, it's just that I can't stand to see you fighting with each other all the time. How can I expect you to fight with me if you're too distracted fighting each other?"

At this statement Mila-Rose, Apacci, and Sung-Sun looked up at her for a moment with shocked expressions of their faces before they looked down once more. A heavy, tense silence descended onto the group, which lasted until their train arrived.

"Come now you three." Tia said as she pushed herself off the wall, picking up her passenger bag as she began walking towards the nearest platform. "It's time to go."

"Yes, Lady Harribel."

XXXXXX

-Scott Air Force Base: Decommissioned Airfield-

Nicolai Technus was currently floating above an enormous airfield that was filled with the scattered remains of numerous rundown, military-grade aircraft.

Despite being a military base, it was surprisingly easy to get here; obviously, the American government had never expected a Ghost to try and infiltrate the base.. He had simply turned intangible to get through the gates, whereupon he had temporarily possessed a few Humans to get some information; rotation schedules, information about each airfield, and about the bases' security protocols.

Now, he was at one of the Scott Air Force Base's decommissioned airfields, knowing that he had a brief five minute window before the next rotation of guards showed up. However, with his power over technology, five minutes was one minute, forty seconds more time than he needed.

"Well, well..." Technus mused as he caught sight of an old, rusted Stealth Bomber which was partially concealed by Douglas C-1 transport aircraft. "That looks very hip. And what would those kids say…? Ah, yes… It's very "cool" too."

Technus floated downwards until he was level with the downed bomber, "Hmm, this looks to be a fixer-upper job, but to me "The Master of Technology", this won't be a problem." Technus then floated towards the plane and put his gloved hand on the side of the rusted Stealth Bomber. From his fingertips, an intricate web of dark-green circuitry spread across the rusted Stealth bomber, consuming the entire plane in a matter of seconds.

Webs of the dark circuitry leapt from the plane and lunged at the surrounding metal, devouring it like how a squid devours fish in the ocean. The absorbed metal made the circuits bulge as it was drawn through them and towards the Stealth Bomber. After a few more minutes the extended circuits returned to the plane and were reabsorbed into the main body revealing the Stealth Bomber with a few "upgrades" to it.

Instead of the Stealth Bomber's former gray-black color, it was now a pristine black with numerous green and white-colored, circuit-like lines spreading across its surface. The windows of the upgraded aircraft were tinted a dark-red color. To finish it off, the "circuitry" on the bomber seemed to be pulsing with an eerie light-green light every few seconds.

"Now it's even more hip than it was before!" Technus exclaimed proudly after he had removed his hand from his new ride before he tapped his forehead in a thoughtful manner. "What do the youngsters call it? Oh, yes… it is quite a "sick" ride now."

Technus thought about what else could be said about his now "pimped out ride" before he shook his head to remove any stray thoughts. Technus then snapped his fingers causing the hatch of his new aircraft to pop open, allowing him to enter the cockpit. He quickly sat down onto the leather chair and turned both of his hands intangible. With a fast punch, Technus plunged his hands into the control panel, allowing his consciousness to fuse with the plane.

After a moment to get use to the fusion, Technus closed his eyes and concentrated. It was only a second later when the plane's engines revved up with an audible purr, the circuit-like lines on the outside of the plane turning bright neon green.

Technus opened his eyes and turned his head in the general direction of Amity Park, "I'll be back, but for now I have other hip and "cool" things to do. Я вернусь."

With that goodbye, Technus' plane slowly lifted off of the ground where it came to hover a good thirty feet in mid-air. After a moment of silence, the plane sped off towards to horizon with a sonic boom, causing the alarms within the base to start blaring.

XXXXXX

-Amity Park: The Manson's mansion-

After Sam had said that "they needed to talk", she had led Danny down through another hallway before they entered another room.

The room they entered was painted a dark-red with a nice and polished hardwood floor. It also had some beautiful, dark-brown furniture that was arranged in a half-crescent before a good-sized fireplace that had possessed a small stack of logs inside.

On the mantle of the fireplace, as well as on the coffee table before the couch and the side table near the loveseat, were pictures held within dark frames. These pictures were both old and new, and showed a variety of people that Danny guessed to be relatives of Sam or her parents. The pictures on the mantle were different from the ones on the tables; the ones on the mantle contained pictures of Sam hanging out with Danny and Tucker. Some were from they first met when they were eight, to them hanging out at the Nasty Burger.

After entering the beautiful room, Sam led Danny over to the couch, where they sat down on its comfortable cushions. Both were silent for a bit as neither one wanted to be the one to start what the both of them knew was going to be a difficult talk. Eventually though, Danny spoke up to break the silence.

"Sam do you… do you really blame yourself for the accident?" He asked.

Sam looked down towards her skirt, suddenly finding some lint on it very interesting, as her hands started to fidget, a clear sign of her unease. Danny could see the signs of his friend's distress and decide to calm her down the only way that he knew how.

He poked her in the head.

"Hey!" Sam automatically slapped his fingers away before rubbing the newly-formed red mark on her forehead. She then proceeded to level Danny with an annoyed glare. "You know I hate it when you do that!"

Danny smiled at her sudden change in attitude; it was good to see his friend return to normal, if only for a moment. "Well, I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't been all mopey in the first place and had answered my question." Sam's eyes flashed with anger at being called "mopey", before she forced herself to let it go. Her face then became resigned and her shoulders slumped slightly, as if what was about to be said was too much for them. When she spoke, it was in a voice that was thick with guilt.

"I… I guess I do feel guilty about it. I mean, how could I not feel guilty about it?" Sam buried her face into her hands, her voice starting to waiver slightly. "Every time you fight a Ghost… hell, every time you transform, I'm reminded that it's my fault that you're like this."

_'Sam…'_ Danny thought forlornly as he finally glimpsed the guilt his friend had been carrying, this saddened him because he should've noticed it sooner; they were best friends how couldn't he notice her feelings? Maybe if he had noticed earlier he could have helped her alleviate her fears, she shouldn't have had to carry that kind of burden on her own.

"I was the one who made you go into the portal, so it's my fault that you became an Arrancar. I convinced you by mentioning Jazz, knowing how you wouldn't want her to get the praise for fixing it." By this point, Sam was openly bawling.

Danny moved over before he drew his friend close to his body and hugged her tightly. Sam grabbed his shirt, as if it was a lifeline, balling the soft material in her hands as she cried within the warmth of Danny's arms.

"I-I'm scared Danny…" Sam hiccupped into her friend's chest, feeling a bit reassured when she felt his arms tighten around her. "I'm so… so s-scared when I see you go off to fight a G-Ghost. I'm scared that… one of t-them might be too strong…that you might not come b-back. "

Danny's eyes widened for a second before they softened, "I'm not going—"

"Don't make empty promises! I know you, and I know that you would give yourself up if it meant that you'd be able to protect us, Danny!" Sam interrupted as she looked up from Danny's chest and locked her red-rimmed eyes with Danny's, daring him to refute her statement.

After a moment, Danny looked away effectively admitting defeat in their silent argument. He knew what Sam was saying was true, but this wasn't supposed to be about him. It was supposed to be about how she felt, and how he could try and help her get over it.

Sam sighed. "But you know… that isn't what I'm most afraid of, Danny. The thing that I'm most afraid of is that you'll lose yourself to your own power. That you won't be you anymore."

"What?"

"In your fight with Skulker, after… after Tucker was thrown away in that explosion… you became really angry, you were like a completely different person." Sam explained softly, though her voice sounded quite loud in the sudden quietness of the room. "You're eyes changed… becoming darker and filled with anger, hatred, and a lust for blood. It was horrible!"

As Sam spoke, Danny's eyes widened slightly before he felt something within him snap. He could see memories that he couldn't consciously recall; flashes of him ripping into Skulker's chest, blasting Skulker away with a strange form of Cero, the look of fear on Sam's face as she looked upon them.

Once the memories had passed, Danny was left stunned. From what he could catch from within those flashes of memory, he could see why Sam would be afraid of him. Even though he couldn't concisely remember those events he still felt an overpowering sense of bloodlust and rage in them; it was like his body was taken over by another entity, one composed of only hatred and rage.

Before Danny could further delve into his suppressed memories, he was snapped out of his stunned state due to the fact that he felt his shirt getting damp. Danny looked down only to see Sam crying again and immediately went to comfort her. He pulled her close once more, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back somewhat awkwardly.

"Shh… it's okay, Sam. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay." Danny soothed for a couple of minutes, repeating his soft reassurances over and over again. Once Sam had calmed down, he spoke again. "I don't blame you for what happened Sam. It was never your fault. "

Sam looked like she was about to speak up in protest, but Danny silenced her with a glance.

"But Danny… what if what h-happened to you in the junkyard happens again? What if… what if the n-next time you don't come back?" Sam asked.

Danny let a small smile grow on his lips at his friend's question, which made Sam slightly angry. Why would Danny be smiling now, after she had just asked him a very serious question?

"Sam even if I return to that berserker state I'll always return to normal and do you know why?" Danny asked.

Sam slowly shook her head at this, confusion evident in her eyes.

"Because, I have people that I need to protect, and I can't very well do that if I'm in that state." Danny said.

Sam looked up at Danny with wonder in her eyes, having never realized how mature her friend had become in the past months. However, a few moments later, she finally realized what position she and her friend were in. Her cheeks reddened in a blush that would shame any tomato or strawberry.

It was only a few moments later that Danny too realized the compromising position that they were in and, flushing, released Sam. Both teenagers then separated from one another before settling down, leaving an awkward silence between them.

"… I-I'm sorry I got your shirt w-wet, Danny." Sam murmured.

Danny looked at his friend for a moment before he gave her a small smile, "It's nothing, Sam. I'm just glad that you were able to get all that out" Danny paused for a moment here, a serious expression forming on his face. "It wasn't healthy for you to have held in that amount of guilt inside for that long."

"… I know it wasn't, but I… I didn't want to worry you. You already had so much on your plate as it was." Sam admitted softly.

"You're my friend Sam." Danny said. "You should always tell me if there's something wrong, no matter if I have a lot on my plate or not."

The two teenagers were silent for a minute or two before Sam spoke up, "… We have to go back. Otherwise, Tucker might start to worry; we've been gone for a while."

"Okay." Danny said as he stood up, before helping Sam to her feet. "Let's go."

XXXXXX

-Illinois: Amity Park-

After Sam and Danny had gotten back to Sam's room, Tucker had questioned them about why it took them so long to just close a window.

Sam had made up a believable lie that soon after she and Danny had left her room, they were almost caught by her father when they passed his study. To avoid beaning found they hid in a nearby room until her dad had left the hallway. The black-haired girl had then gone on to explain how, after her dad had gone away, they had carefully retraced their steps back to the window and shut it.

Tucker had looked suspicious about their story, but in the end he accepted it anyways, relieving both Danny and Sam. They then discussed, as a group, what they would be doing regarding Sidney's current situation. It had taken a couple minutes before they came up with a plan to take Sidney to school with them, so that he would be able to absorb the ectoplasm there to heal himself.

While they weren't at school Sidney would be staying at Danny's house so he could absorb the latent ectoplasm there, hopefully being in close proximity to the ghost portal. Danny had been unhappy at this decision, after all why hide the injured ghost in the house owned by ghost hunters. Tucker and Sam wouldn't let it go though so they argued with him until he eventually agreed to take Sidney home with him.

Almost as soon as the "Sidney Issue" was resolved, another issue came up; what was Danny supposed to get for his dad's birthday? Sam, however, had quickly fixed that problem by flipping open her cellphone and dialing a number. Before they could say "what are you doing?", Sam had ordered a whole pound of Vanilla Fudge and two pounds of Maple Walnut Fudge. She told Danny that he should expect the fudge to be delivered to his house at 6:00 AM the next day.

Danny had been shocked at how easy Sam had solved his problem, to which he thanked her very much for helping him out of this situation. Sam had blushed a bit at his thanks and had waved it saying that's what friends are for. Unfortunately this did nothing to prevent Tucker from teasing Sam about her reddened cheeks.

It was shortly after this that everyone had said goodbye, agreeing to meet again tomorrow at Danny's house for his father's birthday party. Tucker and Sam had been invited to Jack's birthday party since they were always welcome in his house, along with several of Jack's adult friends that Jack had known for years.

Once that was out of the way, Sam had led Danny, Tucker, and Sidney, who was on Danny's back like a backpack, out of her parent's house through the same window that they used to get in. She waved goodbye to them as they climbed out of her home before she shut the window for the final time that night.

Tucker and Danny had walked together for a while, just talking about normal stuff, with Sydney ocassionally asking questions about modern day pop-culture and lingo, before they went their separate ways. After they had separated, Danny had walked the rest of the way back to his home. When he reached his house he walked to under the lamppost that was outside his window and used his sky stepping ability to walk up to his window. When he finally made his way back into his room he groaned at the sight of it, as it looked like a tornado had blown threw it and destroyed a good portion of it.

Danny sighed, "I guess I'll have to clean this up before my parents see it…"

"I'll h-help, Danny." Sidney mumbled from Danny's back, causing Danny to look back at him with a raised eyebrow. "T-that way you'll finish f-faster and can go to bed. I m-mean, today's been pretty k-kooky."

"Thanks, Sidney." Danny said with gratitude in his voice.

Danny then set Sidney on the ground and watched, with no small amount of amusement, as Sidney conjured a small broom made of paper. He chuckled slightly as he went down to the kitchen to get his own cleaning supplies, leaving Sidney to start brushing Skulker's leftover nanobots into his trashcan. Once he came back, around four minutes later, he saw that Sidney was hard at work mopping up the puddles of melted ice and went to help him.

After twenty minutes of near-silent work, with one three-minute pause when they heard a sound from outside the room, Danny and Sidney finally got the former's room back into a respectable condition. Danny looked around the now-clean room for a moment before he thanked Sidney for his help and got into bed. He didn't even bother to change into his pajamas; he was simply too tired to bother. Danny watched as Sydney climbed onto his desk and made himself a small futon from the papers in the drawers.

As Danny looked up at his ceiling he couldn't help but remember that had lied earlier in his conversation with Sam.

_'I told her that I wasn't afraid of my powers, but that isn't true. It's true that I was able to bring myself back from my madness but am I strong enough to do it again?'_ Danny thought

As Danny lay on his bed, letting his self-doubts and fears eat away at him, he couldn't help but remember Skulker's words of malicious scorn.

_'That Arrancar may not look like it, but he is a monster…' _ Skulker's voice whispered. '_His whole race are monsters.'_

_'Is what Skulker said true? Am I really just a monster?' _

With these thoughts plaguing his tired mind Danny went to sleep in the hopes of getting a good night's rest, so that his memories would fade like a terrible nightmare. Sadly, that hope was not meant to be.

* * *

><p><p>

Sidney's Encyclopedia:

* * *

><p><p>

Sidney looked up at his Head of Security, "Are y-you sure that no-one can get i-in? I haven't been o-on in a while… and I-I've heard that S-Skulker managed to break in."

"I have managed to… acquire… a Ghost Shield from Maddie and Jack Fenton, which will prevent any Ghost from entering the premises." The uniformed woman responded to the three foot tall penguin. "I also have buffed up security so no Ghost-Hunters will be able to enter the building undetected."

"A-Alright." Sidney shuffled on his peg-legs.

XXXXXX

"Welcome to a-another segment of Poindexter's Encyclopedia!" Sidney announced somewhat shakily, ruffling his new tuxedo slightly at the warm applause the audience gave him.

"T-Thank you." Sidney murmured before he took a deep breath. "Today we will be talking about r-residual ectoplasm and its effects on the environment."

Sidney then turned—wobbled—on his peg-legs so that he was facing the enormous flat-screen behind him before he pressed the big red button on his remote-control that he pulled from his fanny back. The screen then flared to life as the lights dimmed and then, when it was near pitch-black, a series of brief clips about the most-recent Ghost attacks on Amity Park began to show.

However, near the end of each of these clips, Sidney used his remote-control to zoom in on a section of the screen. This, in turn, caused hundreds of formerly-unseen, bright-green particles to become visible to the audience.

"Those p-particles on the screen are actually ectoplasm that is leftover from when a ghost fights… which are t-then drawn to the nearest source of e-emotions which can sustain it." Sidney explained. "S-some examples are schools, hospitals, playgrounds, or even a lived-in home."

A brown-haired member of the audience stood up, "Mr. Poindexter, Mr. Poindexter!"

"Yes?" Sidney replied.

"Can you explain how this ectoplasm effects the environment?" The audience-member asked.

"After being a-attracted to a place and "sinking in"… the ectoplasm will attract other spiritual beings to it, sort of l-like cat-nip." Sidney explained, causing some members of the audience to begin shouting in alarm. "B-but! It doesn't attract H-hollows! Ectoplasm only attracts G-Ghosts!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I thought you said that spiritual beings were attracted to ectoplasm!"

"Why wouldn't it attract Hollows?"

Sidney stumbled backwards from the sudden deluge of questions, "H-Hollows dislike the taste of G-Ghost energy so they stay away f-from it! They like p-people with Reiatsu more than t-they like ectoplasm!"

"Get him!"

Before the audience could move to "get" Sidney, the skylight above them was broke open. Millions of tiny glass shards rained down upon the audience as two eerily familiar figures descended from ropes, with Sidney backing up in fear.

It was them! Those two horrid Ghost-Hunters that had almost captured him!

"We got here just in time, Maddie. It looks like Ghosts have taken over the audience!" Jack Fenton said as he landed, causing Sidney to stumbled back in shock. "And a little girl must've left her toy on stage! After we get rid of the Ghosts in the audience, we must find the little girl who the toy belongs to!"

Sidney was dazed, _'T-this can't be happening… can it? They're actually on… m-my side?'_

"Alright Jack. Now—" Maddie pulled out a Fenton Bazooka, "let's do this!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **There has been some confusion as to if Danny can be seen be regular Humans. So, allow me to clear that up.

In places that have been attacked by Ghosts [Casper High, the Fenton's Residence, & the junkyard], a Ghost's energy and ectoplasm will sink into the ground. This allows people within those areas to see other spiritual beings, as they are within a field of a Ghost's energy.


	12. Chapter 12:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Bleach or Danny Phantom.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve:<p>

* * *

><p>When Danny had finally fallen to sleep, he began to dream of a place that he had never seen before in his entire life.<p>

It was a desert of white sand and dunes that stretched far into the horizon. The depressing landscape was littered with what appeared to be boulders and shriveled trees. Danny looked towards the night sky and found himself looking at an endless void that was denied any of the twinkling stars that should've dotted the sky. The only form of illumination that this land seemed to have was the single, out of phase, moon that hung in the night sky.

After a couple moments of observing the desert, Danny shrugged off the weirdness of his surroundings and started walking in a random direction. As he continued to walk Danny noticed that there was a distinct lack of life in the desert, which seemed impossible since the desert was supposed to come to life during the night.

Danny then walked up to one of the shriveled trees and placed his hand on it. He was surprised to find that instead of feeling wood beneath his hand, the tree felt like it was made of some sort of rock. As he ran his hand over rock-tree's branches some of it actually chipped away when he applied a moderate amount of pressure on them. The fragility of the tree surprised him even more.

_'How could rock grow to resemble a tree…?'_ Danny thought as he pulled his hand away, looking at the rock-tree with furrowed eyebrows. _'And why is it so fragile?'_

After a few more moments of thought, and not coming up with any plausible reasons that could explain the rock-tree, he pushed it out of his mind so that he could focus. He then started to make his way through the desert again, heading in a slightly different direction than he had been going before.

Danny walked for what seemed to be hours in a single direction. As he continued his journey Danny noticed that the scenery around him didn't change, leading him to believe that he was walking in circles. After walking for a little while more Danny was about to give up all hope as his mind was slow from fatigue and his muscles were screaming in protest when he saw something in the distance.

There, like a shimmering mirage, was a large lake of some kind. Seeing that this was the first new thing that he had seen since he had appeared in this desert, Danny began to run towards it. From the distance that he was at, Danny could tell that there was no water in the lake but some kind of oil-like liquid instead. He didn't care though; if it wasn't part of the endless desert then it was better than his current predicament.

In the middle of the oily lake was a small island where an enormous, gnarled, dark-gray tree. The tree was covered with patches of what appeared to be white moss, though Danny couldn't be sure because of the slight fog that hung around the small island.

However, upon closer notice, Danny saw something that greatly disturbed him; the tree appeared to be bleeding. Danny wanted to get a better look at the odd tree so he sped up his pace. When he was almost at the shores of the lake he almost tripped in surprise, the tree's "blood" dripped into the lake, filling it with the oil-like substance.

When Danny reached the lake itself he became curious about the oil-like liquid that filled the odd lake. His fingers shaking ever so slightly, Danny reached out and touched the surface of the liquid with one of his fingers. He pulled it away almost as soon as he had put it in because of the odd slimy yet oily texture.

After wiping the liquid off on his pants, Danny took another glance at the pond, only to have his breath taken away at the sight of it. The lake was filled with stars, it was as if had taken the night sky and turned it into the oil that filled the lake. Danny could see millions of twinkling lights beneath the lake's surface, hell he could even make out the many different and majestic forms of galaxies!

Still stunned by the sight before him Danny barely caught a flicker of movement that was in the corner of his eye. Turning his head in the direction of the movement Danny could see a shadow move under the surface of the lake.

He tried to get a good look at the shadow, but it swam into a place with no stars or galaxies to illuminate it. Frowning, he stood up and walked around the shore of the lake, getting ever closer to the void where the shadow hid.

When he got to the shore that was closest to the shadowed area Danny peered into the starless void that made up that part of the lake. Danny began to strain his eyes as he tried to see past the inky blackness. The void seemed to shimmer for a moment beneath his stare before all hell broke loose. There was a huge explosion of semi-frothy liquid and wind as the void, actually a pitch-black creature emerging from the void, broke through the surface before it roared, as if announcing itself to the empty world.

The beast was draconic in its appearance. Its scales looked like they were carved from obsidian as they were as black as the void that it was from. Its scales spiraled into wicked looking spikes that arose from its body like the twisted roots of the dead tree that was within the lake. The claws that extended from its back legs were long and sharp, was easily sharp enough to rend Danny in two. It was as long as a city bus, not including its crocodilian tail, and was easily three times as tall as Danny was. A pair of black reptile like bat wings flapped at each side of its body, sending out gusts of wind that threatened to send Danny flying. The beast then plummeted towards the shore line where Danny was, sending up clouds of the white sand forcing Danny to shut its eyes.

When the sand settled Danny opened his eyes and immediately wish he hadn't. Towering above him, like how a cat towers over a mouse, was the beast its face was easily seen by the young Fenton. It had four large curved horns coming from the base of its skull, like a crown sitting atop the head of the god of death. The skull of the beast was something from a dragon from the very belly of hell itself, but it was the eyes of the beast that frightened him the most. The closet thing that Danny could compare them to was the God Eyes that he learned about in astronomy class. The mixture of crimson red and emerald green spoke of knowledge and power that was beyond anything that Danny dared imagine before, it was like he was in the presence of a true god.

"I have awakened." The draconic beast muttered before it looked around for a bit before its eyes came to rest upon Danny's stunned form. "You're here. Good. Now tell me, young one… can you conquer your fear?"

Before Danny could a response to the beast's question the dragon lurched towards him with its mouth wide open. Before Danny could utter a sound he was devoured whole by the beast in a single bite.

XXXXXX

(Unknown Time-Unknown Location)

When Danny opened his eyes again, he found himself in a bright white void barren of everything. His sense of touch and smell seemed to fade as he gazed into the whiteness of the surroundings. This confused him since the last thing he could remember was being eaten by that dragon-like monster. Why was he in this void instead of the belly of that beast?

After a couple of minutes of deafening silence, Danny pushed the thought to the back recesses of his mind. He then started to look around the white void, hoping to find a way out when he came across the only other thing that was present in this place.

It was an enormous, bone-white mask that floated in place. The mask was shaped like the head of the beast that devoured him, but instead of the obsidian skin of that dragon the mask was as white sun dried bones in the desert. The mask was decorated with three purple lines that surrounded its right eye, one above its eye hole, one below its eye hole, and one line coming from the eye hole itself. All three lines ran down for a bit on the side of the mask then encircled around the back. It was also decorated with an inverted purple triangle on the forehead just in-between the two eyes.

Before Danny could even wonder why the mask was there, the surface of it seemed to ripple for a bit before it launched itself towards him. He didn't have any time to react before the mask clamped itself over his face, forcing him onto the ground as he tried to claw it off.

As he continued to try to yank the mask off of his face a wave of pure, unadulterated hunger washed over him. He fell to his knees as his stomach seemed to shrink in on itself, a defining roar of primal hunger escaped from his mouth as the hunger became worse.

"Wha—?" Danny muttered before he screamed, another wave of hunger washing through his body. It felt like his stomach was devouring itself in its demand for food. "What… what's happening…?"

Danny's mask-covered head upturned before the jaws of the mask opened, showing Danny's human mouth, before he released another loud roar. The sound was terrifying in its ferocity and seeming unnaturalness, which could've come from the fact that it sounded empty. It sounded... hollow.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Fenton Works—Danny's Room)

Danny woke up with a gasp, his eyes frantically looking around his room while he panted like he just ran a whole marathon. All the while sweat continuously poured down his face in rivets, stinging slightly as some it got into his eyes.

After a few seconds Danny managed to calm himself down when he saw that he was not in that horrible white room anymore, he was sitting in his own bed in his home. Slowly scanning his room Danny saw that it was still in pristine condition with Sidney sleeping in his mini-futon on his desk.

Finding that nothing was amiss, Danny placed his left hand on his chest in an effort to calm down his rapidly-beating heart. He closed his eyes while he was doing so, reminding himself over and over again that it was all just a nightmare; it was nothing more than a bad dream. However, even if he didn't admit it out-loud, Danny knew that his nightmare didn't feel like a dream at all.

Danny clenched his blue comforter so hard that his knuckles turned white from the pressure, 'I know that it was a dream but... why did it feel so real?'

"Danny…?" Danny turned to see that Sidney had gotten up, and was looking at him with a concerned expression on his beak. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sidney." Danny lied before he got out of bed, making his bed so he didn't have to meet Sidney's plastic eyes. "I just had a bad dream."

XXXXXX

(Later—Fenton Works)

After Danny had gotten dressed for the day he decided that it was time to go downstairs and help prepare for his father's party. Danny quietly exited his room and walked to the stairway with Sidney holding onto his back like a koala. As Danny made his way down the stairs he accidentally bumped into his sister, who had been walking the living room with a wrapped present in her arms, at the bottom of the steps.

Brother and sister stumbled a bit as they hit each other, with Jazz almost falling to the ground, though neither of them fell as Danny righted his balance and caught his sister before she could fall. After they avoided a potential disaster and regained their balance Jazz looked up at him with an indignant expression on her face, annoyed at him for not being careful.

"Why don't you watch were you're go—" Jazz asked, only to stop mid-word when she noticed the dark-rings in his eyes and the slumped posture of her little brother. "Are you alright Danny? Did you get enough sleep last night?"

Danny smiled weakly at Ash, "I'm okay Jazz. I just had a bad dream last night." He spoke again upon seeing her start to open her mouth. "It wasn't too bad and I can't even remember most of it anyways."

Danny lied about that; he could remember every detail of the dream with perfect clarity.

"But, Danny—" Jazz began with a concerned expression on her face, taking a step towards her brother.

"I'm fine, Jazz." Danny interrupted, before he seemed to remember something. "I promised Mom that I would take out the trash, so… bye!"

With that, Danny rushed off towards the kitchen before Jazz could possibly even think of a response. He wasn't even lying that much, as he had promised his mom that he would take out the trash, well it was yesterday but it was probably still there. It also gave him the opportunity to pick up his dad's present from the porch before anyone could see it.

XXXXXX

(With Jazz)

Jazz frowned as she watched her brother retreat into the kitchen, he must've been desperate to have used the trash as an excuse to avoid talking to her.

Danny had been acting strange lately, which was beginning to worry her. He was spending hours outside of the house only to come back beaten up, he may have had a clever excuse for their parents but Jazz could see through Danny's deception. It started out with the Karate lessons, something he had never had an interest in before, which was the first instance where Danny had acted strange. The situation only seemed to get worse as he seemed to become more distant to her and their parents as time passed, never telling them about what he did in his free time and only offering vague answers when asked.

Now, it appeared that Danny was starting to have nightmares. She was worried that her little brother could make bad decisions because of a lack of sleep, if he hadn't done so already.

_'Why won't you tell anybody what's wrong, Danny?_' Jazz thought with a saddened expression on her face and head slightly lowered. _'Why won't you tell me?'_

XXXXXX

(Two hours later—Fenton Works—Living Room)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!"

In the recently redecorated living room of Fenton Works, a mass of people had gathered to celebrate Jack Fenton's 47th birthday party.

The ceiling was covered in a bright web-like structure of orange and red streamers with a few multi-colored balloons here and there. Near the closed fireplace was a small mountain of gifts where Maddie had the guests put Jack's presents. The fireplace's mantel was now the new home to over a dozen birthday cards.

The guests included all of Jack adult friends, which consisted of some of his old college buddies and a few adults he knew through Amity High. Also, Jack had personally invited Sam and Tucker, along with their parents, to his parent, which the teens had happily accepted, though only the Foleys had shown up.

Jack beamed at all of his guests, "Thanks for coming here today, everyone! I really appreciate it!"

"It's your birthday, Jack!" An old-looking man with thinning, brownish-gray hair and green eyes responded. "Why wouldn't we come?"

"Yeah, your parties are the best!"

"We always have a blast, anyways."

Jack's grin grew t epic proportions about hearing the positive comments from his dear friends, "Why thank you! But it is Maddie who puts these things together!" He crossed his arms childishly before he grumbled, under his breath. "She never even lets me help put up the streamers…"

Seeing Jack's current posture, and having heard what he had muttered to himself, everyone within the living room laughed. Jack looked confused for a couple of moments before he joined in with his own deep, booming laugh. What could he say; their laughter was infectious.

While Jack and the majority of his guests were laughing, Danny was just watching him with a smile on his face. It was nice to see his dad so happy.

"This is a great party!" Tucker said as he approached Danny, holding a plate that was full of party food, though the majority of it was meat. "And your Mom's cooking is really, really good!"

Sam walked towards them, with a smaller plate full with vegetables and fruit in one hand and a drink in her other hand, "You would say that, meat-lover."

"At least I can enjoy the taste all of the different, amazing flavors of meat, grass-muncher!" Tucker retorted hotly.

Danny smiled at the sight of his two friends arguing with each other in one of their constant fights. It made him happy that his friends could still bicker with each other like this, especially after what had happened to all of them.

"What do you think Danny?" Tucker asked as he turned to Danny for help in his argument against Sam. "Don't you think meat is better than vegetables?"

Sam frowned, "Don't bring Danny into this, Tucker!"

"Why not, Sam?" Tucker turned back to face Sam again, never noticing that Danny had begun to sneak away from the both him and Sam. "You're just afraid that he'll say meat is better and prove, once and for all, that meat is better than vegetables!"

"Why you little—!" Sam roared as she and Tucker descended into another argument about their respective food groups.

XXXXXX

(Fenton Works—Fenton laboratory)

"Gosh, those two are scary!" Sidney said while sitting upon Danny's shoulders as he walked down the staircase into his parents' laboratory. "Do they always fight like that over food?"

Danny nodded, "Yeah, and that isn't the only reason they fight with each other. Tucker argues with Sam over her eco-protesting, and Sam fights with Tucker over his obsession with technology."

"Really? Then how can they be friends?" Sidney asked, with his beady little eyes widened in confusion. "Wouldn't fighting all the time make it really hard?"

"They are able to argue like that all the time because of their friendship. Both of them know that neither would purposely try to hurt each other and do their best to protect and help each other out." Danny answered as he looked around the lab for his dad's gift that he had hidden earlier.

"I am the Box Ghost! Beware!" A highly obnoxious male voice proclaimed directly above Danny, causing both him and Sidney to look up.

Floating above them was a middle-aged looking Ghost with short black hair, red eyes, and light-blue skin. The Ghost was wearing a light-purple shirt underneath purple overalls, black boots, and light-purple gloves with a light-purple beanie on his head.

Danny frowned when he saw his dad's present, along with all of the other box-shaped stuff in the lab, were floating around the Box Ghost.

"Hey, you up there!" Danny yelled towards the Box Ghost, who turned to look at him. "I really need that red box! So, if you could just hand it over and head back into the Ghost Zone, we won't have any problems!"

The Box Ghost laughed at Danny's request, "You think I would give you one of my oh-so precious, square boxes!"

"Please?" Sidney asked hopefully.

"I'll give it to you…" The Box Ghost trailed off for a moment, before each of the boxes and box-shaped objects around him became covered in a greenish glow. "Never! Now tremble before my power! Boîte pluie (Box rain)!"

All of the glowing boxes flew down towards Danny and Sidney, who cursed before they jumped out of the way as the glowing boxes left square impressions on the ground where they impacted. While in mid-leap Sidney jumped off of Danny's shoulder and Danny transformed into his Arrancar form, both ready to do battle with pudgy ghost.

Danny lunged towards the Box Ghost as said Ghost slashed his arm towards the side of the wall, "Boîte Bouclier (Box Shield)!"

All of the boxes on the floor quickly rose up again and stacked together to merge into a rectangular-shaped shield to the Box Ghost. Danny crashed into the shield and was sent back towards the ground as the Box Ghost's shield shattered into millions of tiny boxes.

"Beware my power! Boîte la grêle (Box Hail)!" The Box Ghost shouted before he slammed his hands downwards, sending all of the boxes towards Danny.

Sidney jumped forward on his peg-legs before he threw the top of the pouch attached to his stomach open, "Petit Papier Bouclier (Small Paper Shield)!"

Paper flew from Sidney's pouch and quickly erected a shield before Danny, quite like Sidney's Papier Bouclier, though about half of the original technique's size. It did its job however and protected Danny from the rain of tiny boxes coming towards him.

"I've had—!" Danny yelled after the deluge of boxes ended. He then used Sonido to appear behind the Box Ghost with his leg raised above his head. He then slammed the soul of his foot on top of the Box Ghost's head, which sent him crashing towards the ground. "—enough of you!"

The Box Ghost groaned weakly within the small crater that had been formed upon his impact and looked up through his bleary eyes as Danny descended towards the ground.

"I should've recognized you!" The Box Ghost said as he got up, his body aching as he pointed an accusing finger at Danny. "You're that monster that beat Skulker so bad! So bad that he had no chance against Walker!"

_'Walker? Why does that name feel familiar?_' Sidney wondered as he watched the Box Ghost accuse Danny.

"You only beat the Box Ghost because you're an Arrancar! And it was two-against-one! But, you shall not win against the Box Ghost again! Beware!" The Box Ghost proclaimed.

Then, before either Danny or Sidney could react, the Box Ghost turned intangible and sank into the ground beneath him. It left both Sidney and Danny shocked and confused, as they thought it would have taken some more effort to get rid of the Box Ghost.

However, after the initial shock and confusion wore off, Danny was once again hit the underlying truth of Skulker's cruel words and his own nightmares. He clenched his eyes close as thoughts about him actually being a monster flew across his mind, taunting him over and over again.

Danny soon felt somebody shaking his leg and opened his eyes, locking them with Sidney's own concerned eyes.

"Are you alright D-Danny?" Sidney asked worriedly.

Danny didn't answer. Instead, he quickly walked towards his dad's present, one of the numerous boxes that had assumed their original shape after the Box Ghost had fled. The shiny red paper crumpled underneath his hand when he picked it up, with a single tear-drop falling onto it.

"I'm fine." Danny muttered quietly, with Sidney not being able to tell he was lying, or see the various emotions that flashed across his face. After a couple moments though, he turned back to Sidney with a force, somewhat happy expression on his face. "Let's go. They'll start missing us if we're gone too long."

Sidney said nothing. He just ran on his still-unsteady peg-legs, towards Danny, whereupon he jumped on Danny's back. Danny then proceeded to walk up the staircase and out of his parent's laboratory; back to the party he was suddenly in no mood for anymore.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Southeastern California—Train)

Within the confines of their cabin, Tia Harribel and her Fracción were all attempting to preform the Arrancar's equivalent of the Shinigami's Jinzen, Hablar. Like Jinzen, Hablar was a technique that allowed Arrancar to access their inner worlds so that they would be able to communicate with their Zanpakutō. It was through this method that Arrancar could learn how to access their Resurrección and how to best use them.

It was through Hablar that Tia hoped her Fracción would be able to learn more about their individual Resurrección and master them. It did appear to be working, as she had recently seen them begin to display new techniques in their released forms.

Tia herself was using Hablar to communicate with her Zanpakutō spirit Tiburón in the hopes that she could improve her powers. Clearing her mind and calming her breath Tia felt the outside world melt away as she entered her mind-scape. When the physical world melted away completely Tia opened her eyes to gaze at her mind scape .It took the form as a blood red ocean that was dotted by small tropical islands.

The Tres Espada glanced at the frothy red waves that lapped at the beach for a moment before she looked towards the ocean, trying to find the elusive Tiburón. Her sharp gaze soon caught sight of a large, dark-blue almost black dorsal fin peeking out from the red water; it appears that Tiburón had been waiting for her.

"Come on out, Tiburón. You know that" Tia called out to her Zanpakutō spirit with the dorsal fin slowly moving towards the shore being her response.

The dorsal fin became submerged in water as Tiburón lowered itself in the water before, in a huge spray of saltwater, Tiburón leapt out of the water and onto the shore. A massive amount of dust was thrown into the air due to Tiburón's landing, concealing it from view. After a second the dust slowly began to dissipate, slowly revealing Tiburón to the world.

The creature before Tia would've sent most people running away in terror, but not Tia. After all why should she run from her partner? The first thing that you would notice about Tiburón was that it was excessively tall, easily twelve feet tall if it wasn't in a slouched position. It was mostly humanoid in the fact that it had four limbs and stood upright on its legs but beyond that it was a monster in most every sense of the word.

Tiburón looked like the offspring between a shark and a man; its skin glistened brightly from the fresh seawater that clung to it from its swim in the ocean's water. Its limbs were long and pale like the underbelly of a Great White and its hands were webbed with wicked looking claws adorned on them. Tiburón's head was that of a shark with its teeth displayed as the beast breathed in and out. Tiburón's back was an almost black color as a series of distended vertebrae and a large dorsal fin forced it into the slouched position that it was in. To finish off its appearance was the large shark tail that extended from the base of its spine and a pair of webbed feet.

When Tiburón spoke its voice was surprisingly feminine, but guttural at the same time. "What have you come here for, Tia?"

"I need you to help me get stronger, Tiburón." Tia answered seriously. "My current level of strength is level of that of one of Soul Society's Captains… but, if I and my three are to survive the coming war, I will need to get stronger than I currently am."

"You still haven't given up on that strange desire to protect those three, have you?" Tiburón asked with disapproval in her voice.

Tia frowned, "I have not. I have no idea as to why you dislike them, Tiburón… but I will need your help if I am able to protect them."

"Hmph." Tiburón said with a mild scowl on her face, partially turning away from Tia. "Those three weaklings only slow you down, something that you don't need, Tia." Tiburón faced Tia again. "In this world, it is either kill or be killed. Those three that you so desperately wish to protect… they are only baggage that will slow you down. If you continue to insist that you need to protect them then a greater predator will strike you down. If you truly wish to become strong, then you need to get rid of—"

"Enough, Tiburón." Tia interrupted with a bit of anger in her voice. "I have no wish to argue with you about my three subordinates."

"Then why have you come here if you weren't going to listen to me, Tia?" Tiburón bared her teeth in an intimidating manner, showing off her rows of teeth that could easily crush steel and render flesh from bone.

"… I have already told you the reason that I am here, Tiburón." Tia looked up at her Zanpakutō with a frozen expression on her face. "Alone, a predator will be able to inflict much damage on its prey… but together, a group of even the weakest prey can overcome the strongest predator."

Tiburón stiffened. She then opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by an extremely loud beeping sound. This sound caused Tia's eyes to widen slightly, as she only knew of one thing that could've caused it.

Tia turned to Tiburón, "I hope that the next time we meet, you'll have realized the meaning behind my words. Goodbye, Tiburón."

With that, Tia closed her eyes and exited her mindscape. In the real world, her eyes snapped open, catching her three subordinates awakening from their own meditations, and got up from her seat. Tia then moved over to one of her traveling bags where the beeping was coming from. She unzipped the bag and pulled out the beeping contraption, which caused all three of her subordinates' eyes to widen since it never did that before.

The object in Tia's hand was a cell phone, molded after a Human's Motorola Razor, but white in color. Flipping it open, Tia saw the word "East" flashing on the little screen over and over again.

Apacci leaned over Tia's shoulder and looked at the cell phone before pulling away with a scowl on her face, "East? That information's real helpful!"

Sung-sun then decided to offer her own opinion, "At least we know we are going in the right direction, Apacci." Sung-Sun remarked.

_'It also means that we're one step closer to finishing this mission. Once we find this new Arrancar we can return to Las Noches and continue our training.' _Tia thought as she slipped the cell phone into one of her pants pockets. _'We'll be one step closer to winning this war.'_

* * *

><p>Omake: Viva Las Vegas!<p>

* * *

><p>(Nevada—Las Vegas—Harrehs Casino)<p>

"Come on triple sevens… let's see those triple sevens!" Mila-Rose chanted to herself as she yanked the handle on the slot machine before her.

Tia-sama had decided that they needed to relax while they had to the chance to do so. So, with this idea in mind, Tia-sama had dragged them all off towards the nearest casino when their train had stopped. It was to be a relaxing night of gambling and sin.

Of course a night in Las Vegas wouldn't be complete if they weren't dressed for the part. It was with this realization that Tia-sama had allowed them to purchase an outfit for the night. Mila-Rose had used her money to buy herself a fancy white tank-top, a white skirt that fell just above her knees, and a pair of white, high heel boots.

Upon walking into the casino, everyone had drifted apart, with Mila-Rose soon found herself being drawn to the flashing lights of a row of slot machines. What she didn't know was that one of the primary rules of gambling was to never play at the slot machines.

Seven. Seven. Cherry.

"ARRGGHHH!" Mila-Rose shouted in frustration, as that had been the last of the gambling money that Tia-sama had given her. "Damn this accursed machine!"

"Ah, what's the matter Amazon? Did you happen to lose… again?" A very smug and very familiar voice said from behind Mila-Rose.

Turning her head to the owner of the voice, Mila-Rose found herself looking at an all-too smug Apacci, who was wearing a simple red dress and a pair of black slippers. What made Apacci smug was the small bucket of casino chips she held between her arms, as opposed to the empty bucket near Mila-Rose.

"Could it be that you can't gamble at all, Mila-Rose?" Apacci asked, before she said. "I can't see how's that possible since it's so easy, I mean I already quadrupled my money."

"Shut up Apacci. Just because you can gamble doesn't mean that you're better than me!" Mila-Rose exclaimed.

Surprisingly Apache didn't argue back but only laughed in a haughty tone. "Ha ha ha, Mila-Rose such an insult would've normally sent me into a rage but since I'm doing so well I don't think that I will." She then looked to her right. "That goes double for Sung-Sun."

Sung-Sun was sitting at a roulette table while wearing a long-sleeved Chinese-styled dress that completely covered her arms. She was sweating slightly, with her right eye twitching slightly, as she watched her stack of chips grow smaller and smaller still.

"Wow! Look at her go!"

"That's amazing."

"How does she do that?"

Apacci and Mila-Rose looked towards the source of the noise and found themselves surrounding one of the casino's Black Jack tables. Getting a closer look at the crowd, the two Arrancar found their mistress sitting in one of the seats with a small mountain of chips surrounding her.

Tia was wearing a beautiful black cocktail dress that showed off her delicate curves, a small silk scarf that covered the lower half of her face, and black heels. She was looking at the table with her usual bored expression, which unnerved the people around her.

The dealer dealt her a ten of hearts and a six of spades while he had a nine of spades face up, "Hit me."

The dealer turned over another card, revealing it to be the two of hearts. The crowd around the Black Jack table began to murmur on the good hand that Tia had before the woman did something that no one would suspect.

"Hit me." Tia said.

Everyone was stupefied at what Tia had just said, even the dealer. What kind of crazy person asked for another hit while having a hand of 18? It was suicide!

"Hit me." Tia repeated her earlier request, as the dealer had yet to give her another card.

The dealer nodded before he flipped over another card, revealing the three of spades, giving Tia a total score of 21. The crowd around the table went wild as the dealer flipped over his own cards, showing that he had a king in the hole, giving him a score of 19.

"I'll be taking my chips." Tia said as she rose from her seat—before noticing the high number of chips around her—she turned to the dealer and batted her eyelashes. "… If you could call someone to help me?"

The dealer flushed before he nodded and called over several wandering people, who then helped Tia fill numerous bags with casino chips.

Tia then looked outside to the entrance of the strip then turned her head to her gawking subordinates, "What are you waiting for? The night is still young."

* * *

><p>Techniques:<p>

* * *

><p>1. <span>Boîte pluie (Box rain)<span>: After taking control over nearby boxes, or box-like objects, the Box Ghost is able to send them hurling downwards at his opponents. As the number of boxes increase, the more it appears to be an actual rain of them, hence the name of this technique.

2. Boîte Bouclier (Box Shield): Using the boxes under his control, the Box Ghost is able to call them towards him whenever he is in need of protection. The boxes are able to merge into a stronger, more durable form, durable enough to even deflect an Arrancar.

3. Boîte la grêle (Box Hail): The Box Ghost can use this technique to "shatter" any large box, or box-like object, into millions of tiny boxes. He can then send these boxes towards his enemies, though how effective this technique is still unknown.

4. Petit Papier Bouclier (Small Paper Shield): By using his control over paper, Sidney is able to manipulate a good sum of paper to form a shield before himself or an ally. While this technique does provide cover for Sidney or his allies, it is not as large or as damage-resistant as his Papier Bouclier (Paper Shield).

* * *

><p><strong>AN; Author's Note: **I have a request for any of you talented artists out there! I'm requesting some fan-art for this story, whereupon your names and a link to the fan-art will be posted on my profile page.


	13. Chapter 13:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Bleach or Danny Phantom.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirteen:<p>

* * *

><p>After the Box Ghost had retreated and Danny had retrieved his dad's present, Danny had gone back upstairs to rejoin the rest of the party goers before anyone noticed that he was gone. His downtrodden mode was slowly lifted as he watched his dad opening the gifts that people had got for him. With each new gift that was opened a chorus of "oohing" and "ahhing" followed. Danny saw that his dad had gotten some new orange hazmat suits, chocolate, and various gadgets and gizmos that Danny didn't know how to pronounce but had something to do with ghost hunting. Those trinkets did seem important to his father though, as his dad had said that they were what he needed for a "certain project"<p>

Danny had felt really guilty when his dad had opened "his" gift and pulled him into a bear-hug, as he felt like he didn't deserve it. He promised himself right then, as he returned his dad's hug, that he would make it up to his father in any way that he could.

After a few more hours of partying, the party slowly began to wind down as people trickled out of the house and to their own homes. When all the guests were gone, even Sam and Tucker had left a while ago; Danny knew that it was time to clean up the after party mess. He helped Jazz clean up the mess in the living room while his dad talked his mom's ear off about a particular gadget he got from one of the guests. After a while Maddie took the gadget from his hand and replaced it with a broom, telling him to clean the mess in the kitchen. Which he did, with great reluctance. After an hour or two of cleaning the Fentons decided to forgo cooking a big dinner and just finished off the snacks that the guests had left.

After everyone had eaten their fill of snack foods, the family separated to do their own things. Maddie helped Jack put away his presents before they retreated to the lab, Jazz went up to her room to study her psychology books, and Danny went off to bed.

Despite how tired he was Danny was reluctant to go to sleep, as he was afraid of having any more nightmares like the one had the night before. That dragon-like monster in the black lake had scared the crap out of him and that mask in that white room. Well, he didn't want to think about that part of the nightmare. So, to avoid going to bed for a while longer he logged onto his computer to waste time playing games.

After thirty minutes of playing the online game Danny knew that he was fighting a losing battle. Despite his will to stay awake and avoid what was to come, Danny's exhaustion eventually overpowered his will. Like a tree fall in the forest, Danny felt his head fall onto the keyboard as he drifted off into sleep. The sudden jarring of the keyboard caused Danny to lose the game he had been playing, causing a huge "Game Over" to flash across the screen in bold, and tinting the room a vivid red light.

XXXXXX

(Unknown Location)

Danny opened his eyes to the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shoreline. Ever so slowly he lifted his head from the shallow water that it was submerged in and looked around at his surroundings.

Dark water surrounded him his he stared out at what appeared to be Lake Eerie, Amity Park's supposed "haunted" lake. All of a sudden, he was stricken by a deep thirst that he had not noticed until now. Leaning his head down slightly, Danny started to lap from the lakes surface before he noticed something off about his reflection.

Staring back at Danny was the mask that he saw in his dreams except now it was attached to a body. It seemed to be a bleached version of the dragon that had devoured him except he had blue markings that traversed his entire body. After a second of staring at the water Danny realized that he was staring at his reflection. Normally, if Danny was in his right mind, he would've freaked out but, right now a deep gnawing feeling filled him.

Hunger.

The only way Danny knew to get rid of the feeling in his stomach was to feed, he needed to find prey. So he tucked his wings in beside himself and dove into the dark waters of Lake Eerie. Once he was fully submerged he used his long tail to propel himself through the supposedly-haunted lake like a large crocodile.

After a while of only seeing the darkened water of Lake Eerie, Danny grew frustrated with having not found anything to eat. Gritting the teeth of the mask, he used his tail to propel himself faster through the water and closer to the surface. Once he drew closer to the surface of the lake Danny noticed some lights just beyond the surface of the water. He beat his tail faster to gain speed and, after a couple moments, breached the surface of the lake.

Dark-blue water danced around in the air when Danny had breached, foaming up upon impact with the surface of the lake. Danny himself did not follow the water as he had opened his wings as soon as he had left the lake and was now hovering above the surface, gently flapping his wings as he gazed upon the source of the lights he had seen.

Before him was Lake Eerie's docks, which, surprisingly still had a small assortment of boats docked there. However none of the boats appeared to be in use as all of the dock workers and the fisherman were at home for the rest of the night.

As Danny hovered slightly in mid-air he caught sight of something moving. When his amber eyes caught sight of what was moving his stomach began to growl. Danny saw two bright-green octopuses that were floating in the air, looking around the docks with their baleful red eyes. They would do for now.

Danny stopped flapping his wings as he silently glided over to the two octopuses, the only sound that he made was a slight whistle of air. Once he was above his unsuspecting prey Danny folded up his wings and dived at the ghostly pair, his mouth already wide open in anticipation of the kill. One of the octopuses managed to turn around in time to see him before he ripped into it, the hunger in his belly began to diminish with every bite that he took.

The other octopus released an angry shriek at the sight of its friend's death before it attacked him with all eight of its tentacles. The attack only annoyed Danny instead of hurting him. Angered at the creature's feeble attack, Danny clamped his jaws shut on the octopus' tentacles when it tried to attack him again. It shrieked again this time in pain as Danny violently shook his head from side to side, ripping off most of its tentacles. Danny knew that he shouldn't dawdle with this prey so he threw it into the air and devoured it whole as it descended to the ground.

However once Danny finished his first meal of the night he began to dry-heave on the docks. While those octopuses had filled him up somewhat they had tasted horrible; it was like eating something that was curdled and spicy at the same time!

XXXXXX

(United States of America—Illinois)

By the time he had recovered from eating those two disgusting octopuses, Danny had once again found himself in the pains of his never ending hunger. The problem was that, after thoroughly scouring the docks, Danny found that the docks didn't have any prey left. Seeing that he was wasting his time here, Danny left in a huff. He needed something to eat!

Danny had headed northward for a while before he came upon a small, quaint town that didn't smell of those two octopuses, like Amity Park had. His mouth watered at all of the delicious smells his nose picked up in the town. Deciding to go after the most delicious one Danny flew off into a park where he found a slightly transparent, middle-aged man that was sitting on a bench next to a vase of flowers and a picture of himself.

The man perked up slightly, as he seemed to know something was off, before he slowly turned his head around and spotted Danny standing in between the park's trees. His beady little eyes widened in horror at the sight before he screamed, rather shrilly, about a "monster" and began to flee in the opposite direction of Danny.

The chase was on and Danny couldn't have been happier.

Danny bounded after the man and soon began to slowly gain on him before the man turned on his heel and down a narrow alleyway just outside of the park's entrance. The soul's action infuriated Danny, he would NOT let his next meal escape! With a mighty leap and a few flaps of his wings Danny sprang into the air. As he glided through the air, Danny spotted the man rushing out of the other end of the alley. Danny had him now as he angled his body towards the fleeing man, letting gravity do the work for him.

Once he had caught the screaming man in his claws, Danny dug into his meal with relish. It was far better than those two octopuses, it reminded him of how chicken tasted.

XXXXXX

(Illinois—Amity Park)

It was twenty minutes after he had devoured that man, and some other transparent people like him, that Danny had detected a stronger scent in the air. Deciding that this new meal was to good to pass up Danny decided to followed it. The stench lead him out of the quaint little town he had been in and back to Amity Park.

Danny's noted that the smell grew more powerful as he flew into the outskirts of the town. Unfortunately the overwhelming stench of the town almost caused him to pull back, as the smell reminded him far too much of those octopuses he had eaten. However, he refused to be pushed away from his next meal, so he persevered and flew deeper into the town and soon spotting an odd-looking building.

At that moment, Danny got a whiff of the most delicious, intoxicating aroma that almost drove him to the edge of madness from the desire that it ignited in him. He spent a few moments like this until the smell drifted away, causing him to growl at the sudden loss. Oh well, he knew where the scent was coming from, and anything that good-smelling would be absolutely delicious!

Danny dove towards the house and roared, the sound seeming to echo throughout the sleeping town. It was only a few seconds later that Danny crashed through the front wall of the house, sending debris and dust everywhere. Blowing the dust away with his mighty wings Danny landed in the middle of the wreckage.

Although there was nobody around him, Danny could still smell people below him, and roared in annoyance. He then lunged forward as he ripped a piece of the flooring out with his mouth before spitting it to the side and then repeated his actions. It took a couple of moments until he broke through the floor and spotted the source of the smell, two skinny females and a chubby man. Finding the source of the smell Danny could not contain himself and roared in delight.

He lunged at the three.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Fenton Residence—Danny's Room)

Danny woke up in a cold sweat, his chest heaving as his eyes darted frantically around his room. After a few seconds his heart slowly calmed down and he slowly began to remember the dream he had just had. The memories of that terrible nightmare caused his eyes to widen in horror as bile rushed up in his throat.

Stumbling out of bed, Danny made a break for the bathroom as the nausea proved to much for him. He had barely made it there and, after flickering on the light switch, collapsed at the toilet as he began to heave. Everything he had eaten yesterday slowly began to work its way out his throat and into the toilet until there was nothing left.

Danny felt extremely horrified at what he had done in his dream; he had eaten people and attacked his parents! However, that wasn't what terrified him most about his dream. What terrified him most, what brought out the fears and insecurities within him that Skulker had awoken.

He had enjoyed it.

XXXXXX

(Russia—Saint Petersburg—Underground Laboratory)

Technus frowned as he waited impatiently for the door to his former lab to open. Ordinarily, he would've phased right through the door but, when he had been alive, he had installed a "shield" of sorts that prevented such things.

It was kind of ironic now that he had installed a shield that would prevent him from quickly accessing this laboratory. As he waited for the door to open Technus did some quick calculations in his head and supposed that he could redesign the shield to allow himself in and other spiritual beings out. Of course as soon as the thought came he discarded it, after all, after today he would no longer need his old lab.

Technus didn't have much time to ponder on any other thoughts as the solid steel door before him finally opened, allowing him entrance to his own lab. Nodding to himself, Technus floated into his laboratory, the aged lighting system only just providing a flicker of light in the darkness that shrouded his lab.

Nicolai sighed when he saw the depressing state that his lab was in. He could see that the majority of his machines were dark and did not start up, probably do to a dead generator or a electrical surge. Everything in the lab was covered by thick layers of dust and curtains of spider-webs, with a few vermin running from him as he flew closer to his machines.

Looking around or a bit longer Technus finally found what he was looking for; there, in the middle of the room, was a machine that still had some life in it. This machine was connected to two large glass tubes that were securely fasten to each side of it, were empty for the moment but that would change. Sitting by the control panel of the machine was a pair of two small golden pyramids that looked to be made of a complex patterns of cogs and wires, both looked out of place from every other piece of equipment in the lab.

Technus then floated up to the control panel of the machine and stared at the two small pyramids. After a couple moments of silence Technus picked up one of the clockwork pyramids and gently ran his hand over the side of it, clearing away the dust that had accumulated on it.

"My dear, dear Аnyа…" Technus said softly as tears began to well up in his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry… that I haven't been here to help you... I died before I could find a viable source of energy to power the machine for you and Marianna... Please..." He whispered, with tears escaping his eyes as he began to sob. "Please... forgive m-me!"

Technus stood that way for an unspecified amount of time before he finally wiped the tears off his face with the back of his glove. He then gently placed the pyramid that he had picked up back down in its former position before returning his attention to the machine. He then raised his hands to the machine and shouted a single phrase.

"Marche (Power On)!"

From Technus' outstretched hands came out a series of black, metal tentacles that rushed towards the machine. The tentacles then connected with the machine in various places before Technus poured as much of his ghostly power as he could into his technique. This in turn caused his machine to begin glowing a bright, vivid green color and vibrate slightly.

Then just when Technus thought his machine was finally going to work something short-circuited. Still connected to his machine via his tentacles, Technus didn't have time to move even try to disconnect himself before he was electrocuted by the violent backlash.

Nicolai screamed as thousands upon thousands of volts of pure electricity were poured into his body and lost control over his technique. This caused the tentacles to loosen from the machine, and a wave of his own spiritual energy violently threw him through the air. He soon hit his back against a nearby wall before he slid down, slightly dazed from the event that just happened.

Technus panted heavily as he gritted his teeth. Technus dared not move as moving any part of his body, even if it was involuntary, sent jolts of pain through him.

"Why—" Technus gritted his teeth in rage as he slammed his gloved hands on the tiled floor beneath him, ignoring the mass amount of pain it brought him. "WHY DIDN'T IT WORK!"

A minute later Technus forcibly pulled back his anger over the situation and set to healing himself with his spiritual energy. While this was happening, Technus thought over what had happened and, more importantly, the reasons why it had happened.

Technus had thought that his spiritual energy alone would've been enough to power his machine but it appeared he was mistaken. His spiritual energy was that of a Ghost, something that Anya and Marianna's current bodies rejected. It was because of this that led to his failure.

If he was to succeed, he would need another energy source similar to Anya and Marianna's own, so that the energies would be able to synchronize. He would also need the purifying powers of a Shinigami to stabilize the procedure.

_'Wait…'_ Technus thought as he remembered a specific person that had spiritual energy that, hypothetically, could fulfill both requirements. 'That boy…' A brief image of a white-haired boy in white clothes passed through his mind. _'Danny Fenton.'_

A wide smile appeared on Technus' face before he slowly got up from his position on the ground. Floating off to one of the walls of his lab Technus pulled one of the many levers that adorned it. A slight humming sound filled the air as a green portal formed beneath his precious machine, swallowing it, the glass containers, and the two the pyramids whole. Once his machine was fully in the portal Technus flipped the switch again, closing the portal for now.

Then, after he made sure that he had everything that he needed, Technus spun around and pressed a bright red button near the exit of his lab. As he flew out of the lab a vivid red light filled every corner of the room and alarms began to blare.

_'Unlike other Arrancar, Danny Fenton doesn't know the full capability of his powers yet; he hasn't even used his Resurrección in battle yet. I can easily capture him the way he is now, though I will have to make sure not to get him angry…'_ Technus thought as his lab behind him started exploded in flashes of light and fire.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Casper High—Room 203)

From his seat in the back of his Creative Writing class, Tucker Foley was currently keeping a watchful eye on Danny. Ever since their battle with Skulker, Danny had seemed to fold in on himself from the outside world. Sam had filled him in on the details of what happened when Skulker knocked him out. Needless to say Tucker was worried for his friend, since it seemed that Skulker's words affected him more than they originally thought.

Both he and Sam were worried for Danny's health; he looked like he wasn't getting enough sleep and he would barely eat anything anymore. At first they thought he was spending too much time chasing down ghosts instead of taking care of himself. This belief was dashed this morning when Sidney had spoken to them before school, telling them that Danny hadn't seen any Ghosts, besides himself, since the small incident with the Box Ghost at his father's birthday.

While this normally would've relieved them, now it only left them in confusion on why Danny as acting in this matter. The very instant that they met up with Danny that morning Sam and Tucker resolved to keep an eye out on him, just in case.

As the day progressed, Sam and Tucker continued to watch their friend and what they saw caused their worry to grow more and more. Danny appeared to be avoiding them as much as he possibly could. He never sat by them in class, and he rushed away when class was odd behavior only caused his friends to wonder what could be going on.

Tucker and Danny were now in their shared Creative Writing class, though Danny stayed true to his avoidance of his friends and choose to sit as far away from Tucker as humanly possible. This action had hurt Tucker personally, as he and Danny had always sat together.

Even their teacher for the class, Mr. Summers, seemed to have realize Danny's odd behavior at the beginning of class too if the raised eyebrow had been any indication. While he said nothing about what he saw, Mr. Summers made a note to constantly look over in Danny's direction who looked as if he was fighting to stay awake.

"Mr. Fenton."

Well, Mr. Summers hadn't said anything until now. But Tucker supposed that it had only been a matter of time before this happened; everyone in the room knew that Danny hadn't been paying attention. Danny's head snapped up from its former position in his arms before he looked around hurriedly, and cringed when he saw that Mr. Summers was standing in front of his desk. "… Yes, Mr. Summers?"

"Are you feeling alright, Mr. Fenton?" Mr. Summers asked with a concerned expression on his face, leaning closer towards Danny. "You haven't been paying attention for most of the class and you seem to be a tad sick. Maybe you should go see the nurse, hm?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Summers…" Danny protested wearily.

Mr. Summers' expression didn't change at Danny's denial, "No, you're not fine, Mr. Fenton. Now, I'll write you up a pass to the Nurse's Office and you'll report down there at once."

"But Mr. Sum—!" Danny began.

"There will be no 'buts' about it, Mr. Fenton." Mr. Summers interrupted as he quickly scribbled on a piece of paper before he handed it to Danny. "Now, get your things and go!"

Danny stared at the slip of paper for a moment before he sighed and did as he was told. After he gathered his things and stuffed them into his backpack, he got up before he made his way out of Mr. Summers' classroom and into the hallway.

After a couple minutes, Danny reached the Nurse's Office, which was right next to the attendance office, and went inside. He showed the school nurse, a young woman named Ms. Grey, his slip of paper before he sat down on the examination table.

Ms. Grey asked what the problem was and Danny reluctantly told her that he had been having a lot of nightmares recently. He apparently didn't need to say any more after that as Ms. Grey patted his shoulder and directed him to the Counselor's Office.

Knowing that resisting was practically pointless, as Ms. Grey was already calling Ms. Spectra to inform her that he was coming, Danny began his trek towards the Counselor's Office. After a few minutes of trudging through the empty hallways with nothing but his thoughts Danny eventually reached Spectra's office. Danny stood in front of the door for a few minutes, mentally debating whether or not he should really go through with it, before he knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door was opened by Ms. Penelope Spectra.

Ms. Spectra was a fair-skinned woman with short red hair that ended at the back of her neck, and emerald-colored eyes. She was wearing a white blouse, a long red skirt, and red slippers. She also had a small covering of blush on her cheeks but, besides that, she didn't wear any makeup.

"Come in, Mr. Fenton!" Penelope Spectra welcomed him in with a small grin on her face. Once Danny was all the way inside Spectra shooed him over to one of the two available seats that sat in front of her desk.

Ms. Spectra's office had dark-blue carpeting with slightly off-white walls and a medium-sized window that showed Casper High's parking lot. The office also contained an old hardwood desk with a computer on it, three filing cabinets, and an old bookcase that seemed to be filled with a menagerie of books.

Ms. Spectra closed the door behind her as she walked over to her desk. Once she reached her desk she sat down in the padded leather chair behind it and folded her hands in front of herself. "Now, Mr. Fenton, is there anything that you want to talk about?"

"Not really…" Danny tried to deny as he looked away from Ms. Spectra. His eyes continuously roamed around the office but never landing on Spectra herself. "I don't think I need to be here either… I'm fine.", Ms. Spectra hummed for a moment, obviously not believing a word that he had just said. She then picked up a manila file that was lying on her desk and opened it slightly, unknowingly allowing Danny to see the "Fenton, Danny" tab on the side of it.

"In the past few months, you have been banned from holding fragile school property, started a food fight in the school cafeteria, and have been assigned two weeks' worth of detention." Ms. Spectra stated as she read Danny's file. "Recently, according to your teachers, you haven't been turning in your homework on-time and have been doing "average" on your recent exams."

Danny fidgeted in his seat and didn't make eye contact, "Okay…" He said with a sigh and then he reluctantly admitted the truth. "I may have some… issues."

"And what are these 'issues', Mr. Fenton?" Ms. Spectra asked as she placed Danny's folder on her desk again and turned her attentive gaze onto Danny.

"Uh… Well, I guess that I'm falling a bit behind because I sometimes can't understand what the teacher is talking about." Danny lied. "It doesn't help that Dash is always bullying me and my friends, stealing our homework, stuffing us into lockers, taking our clothes from the boy's locker room…"

Ms. Spectra frowned at Danny's admittance at being bullied, "While I appreciate you informing me about Mr. Baxter's behavior, and I will see that it is corrected, those weren't the issues that I wanted us to talk about."

Danny was quiet for a minute or two while he mentally debated weather or not he should tell her about the nightmares. While he knew that it was better to talk about what had been happening, he also knew that he couldn't reveal what he and his friends had stumbled into since the lab accident. He didn't know how someone would react if he told them; would they call him insane? A monster?

"Recently…" Danny murmured after a few more moments of tense silence. "I… I have been having some nightmares."

A concerned expression appeared on Spectra's face as she leaned closer to her desk, an imploring look in her eyes as she stared at Danny, "What kind of nightmares have you been having, Mr. Fenton?"

"… I have been having nightmares… it started out as something terrible happening to me… and then me myself doing them…" Danny answered hesitantly. "And the worst part of it was…" his fists clenched in his lap. "I liked it."

"Could you elaborate, Mr. Fenton?" Ms. Spectra asked seriously.

"Well… when I'm the one doing the terrible things, I feel really heavy and slow and can't think like I usually do… like a… like some sort of beast." Danny shook his head as memories from his nightmares resurfaced, futilely trying to get them to just go away. "And… when I do them, I feel nothing but… satisfaction…"

Ms. Spectra frowned in concern at what she had just been told, "Is there anything that could have caused these nightmares to start happening?"

"Um…" Danny's eyebrows knitted together as he thought about what he would tell Ms. Spectra. He guessed that the nightmares had started after his battle with Skulker ut he really couldn't tell her about that, at least not in full detail. "I guess… they started happening after I got into a fight with somebody… and he called me a monster."

"Why were you called a 'monster'?" Ms. Spectra asked with a severe frown on her face.

"I was walking home after a Karate lesson with Sam and Tucker… and somebody tried to rob us." Danny lied convincingly. "When Sam and Tucker tried to help, the guy… he tried to stab… Sam with a knife… I saw red and lost control and… and all I wanted to was hurt the bastard!"

Ms. Spectra then stood from her desk and walked around her desk so that she could lay a calming hand on Danny's own, "Calm down, Mr. Fenton… I admit that while your reaction sounds more violent than I would like, it's… understandable that you would've gotten so angry."

"What are you talking about?" Danny exclaimed with a mixture of confusion and anger present in his voice. "How can you say that it's 'understandable; I—"

"Mr. Fenton… Danny, it is only Human nature to feel anger towards somebody that has hurt someone close to us. And while you might have been overzealous in your efforts to protect your friends, you didn't attack him for no reason. You attacked to protect your friends."

"But...but since then, I've been having those nightmares… where I h-hurt people. I-It's like I have no control over my body… and it scares me so much! I wake up, s-sweaty and breathless, and I feel so disgusted by what I did!" Danny admitted.

"It's alright, Danny." Ms. Spectra reassured. "It is because you feel this way after your nightmares that prove you aren't a monster. Would a monster feel disgust over his actions? Would it feel guilt over what it did?"

"No…" Danny mumbled in reply.

Ms. Spectra nodded at Danny's agreement, "You're right; a monster wouldn't feel any kind of guilt or remorse for what it had done. And by showing these emotions, you have shown that you are not a monster." Then, after a couple of moments, she said. "I suggest that we schedule at least a few meetings between us, two times a week, until you can get over this."

"Alright, I guess…" Danny sighed, before looking up at Ms. Spectra. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome, Mr. Fenton. Now, off to class with you!" Ms. Spectra responded happily, dismissing Danny with a wave of her hand.

Danny nodded once before he got up from his chair, picked up his backpack, and left the room to go to his next class; his Creative Writing class was already over so he started making his way to his History class.

Once Ms. Spectra was sure that she couldn't detect Danny's Reiatsu any longer, she allowed a haughty smirk to appear on her face, twisting her beautiful features. She then breathed out a fine mist, which caused the previously unseen wisps of emotions that were in the room to come into view. Then she breathed in, sucking the emotions and the mist inside of herself.

"Ahh…" Ms. Spectra said after a moment before she opened her eyes and, instead of them being green, they were a dark-red color. "I do so enjoy teen misery…"

XXXXXX

(Illinois—Amity Park—Axion Labs.)

It was an average day for the employees at Axion Labs; people were coming into work and the guards were preparing for their patrols or already on them. Things ran smoothly throughout most of the day until, sometime after five o'clock, a sleek jet materialized within a sonic boom.

The windows closest to the plane shattered and all of the nearby Humans—guards mostly—fell to their knees and clutched their now-bleeding ears with their hands.

Alarms began to blare from the broken glass, summoning more guards to the front entrance of Axion Labs, as a green-skinned, white person phased through the plane and floated ten feet above the ground.

"Freeze!"

Technus scowled as he looked down at the Humans that were barring his path into "his" new base of operations. If they had just stood aside then he wouldn't have had to battle them, something that he wasn't in the mood for.

"I told you to freeze!" One of the guards shouted out, shakily aiming his gun at Technus' hovering form.

"I'd rather not." Technus drawled before he fired a few blasts of pure ectoplasm at the guards, causing them to shout in alarm before scattering like ants.

Technus yawned as he formed a basic shield against the guard's bullets, and mentally scoffed at their efforts. What could mere bullets do against a being that could simply phase through them or block them?

"I tire of this game…" Technus said as he raised both of his hands "Le Piratage Vert (Green Piracy)!"

A wave of pure-green ghost energy spread from Technus' hands as he clapped them together in front of his face. The wave then began to spread all over the makeshift battlefield and entered any piece of circuitry that they came across. Shouts of alarm soon followed as golems of computers and swarms of handheld devices came to life and began to attack the guards.

"I'll let you deal with my little "pets"..." Technus said to the guards as he left the battlefield and floated towards the entrance of Axion Labs. He effortlessly phased through the reinforced doorway and went effortlessly made his way through the security systems and began to look around looked around. He grinned at the state of the art equipment that he saw. "This place will be perfect for my plans..."

Hearing the Humans outside scream caused Technus' grin to widen before he floated down and towards the core of the laboratory. He needed to secure "his" laboratory against the Humans, as he would not tolerate any of them defiling it with their presence.

"Hey! What—?" A bald man in a white lab coat shouted as he caught sight of Technus as he phased through the wall, his face white as a sheet. "What are you!"

Technus' face split into a sinister grin at seeing the man's fear, "I am Technus, Master of all Science and Technology! Now, get out of MY laboratory! Corrompre le Virus (Corrupting virus)!"

Thousands of razor-thin wires shot out from the edges of Technus' own lab-coat before they flew towards the bald researcher, who was sitting in a chair right in front of the main computer for the whole facility. The bald man stumbled over himself as he tried to get away but soon found out that he wasn't the intended target of those wires; the computer was.

Not even a second after reaching the startling realization that the main computer turned black and green, circuit-like markings that began to spread out and cover the room. Everything that the circuits touched transformed, becoming more compact and shiny, as if complying with Technus' will.

"Now!" The bald researcher looked up and cowered when he saw that Technus was floating directly above him. "You, Human, have no purpose in my laboratory!"

"HAHAHAHA HAHAHA!" Technus' mad cackle rang through the entire facility through the intercoms as every Human still within it cowered.

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Marche (Power On): This technique allows Technus to create metallic tentacles that attach themselves on any piece of technology. Through them, he can channel his Ghostly Reiatsu, which is turned into electricity, into the machine to power or charge it.

2. Le piratage Vert (Green piracy): This is a technique that allows Technus to bring any nearby machinery to life by releasing a wave of Reiatsu.

3. Corrompre le virus (Corrupting virus): This is a technique that summons thousands of wires that act quite like a virus—corrupting any type of metal or machinery they touch—bending the environment around to Technus' will.


	14. Chapter 14:

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Fourteen:<p>

* * *

><p><em><span>Malfunction at Axion Labs!<span>_

_Earlier today the residents of Amity Park were shaken from their beds by a sonic boom that came from Axion Labs. Police and reporters were on the scene in a matter of minutes where they were met by the spokesperson of Axion Labs, John Dales. _

_Mr. Dales quickly apologized for the commotion; saying that they were testing some new equipment when some of it malfunctioned. Luckily Mr. Dales said that no employees were harmed in the accident and the minimal damage to the building will be repaired within a few days. _

_When asked about what kind of equipment had malfunctioned, Mr. Dales told us about a prototype jet engine that Axion Labs is currently working on. It is unknown at this time what caused this engine to malfunction, according to Mr. Dales._

_In other news, rising rock star Ember McClain is going to be hosting a concert in Amity Park. The concert will be held inside Key Stone Arena on May 22__nd__ and will officially start at 8:00 pm!_

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—Axion Labs—Control Room)<p>

Technus smirked as he finished with the latest edition of the _Amity Gazette_, "Fools, the lot of them!" He threw the paper away from himself with a chuckle, "To believe such a ridiculous lie! Hah!"

Still chuckling, Technus turned slightly in mid-air to look around at the very epicenter of the building he had taken over.

The formerly small, rectangular-shaped control room had been converted into a circular shape, which practically doubled the amount of space there was in the room. Hundreds of green-tinted holographic screens with black borders floated close to the walls of the room, each displaying a massive array of information. Directly underneath the holographic screens was a long counter which made up the control panels that had been modified—by Technus—to be able to effect any part of the building.

Currently monitoring these control panels were a small horde of Humans with gray, ashen skin-tones and dulled eye and hair colors. They were attired in short-sleeved lab-coats and had what appeared to be green circuitry embedded throughout their entire bodies.

John Dales—also wearing a lab-coat—stepped towards Technus, "The bait has been released, Dr. Technus." He said in a monotone voice, head bowed. "All that we are waiting for now is for the Arrancar to take it."

Technus nodded before dismissed John with a wave of his hand. He then motioned for a nearby screen to come to him. Once it did, he looked into, eyes softening at the picture within. The machine he had brought from his former lab was now being integrated into this laboratory and upgrading its aged machinery with new parts.

"With that Arrancar's death…" Technus whispered—closing his eyes as a memory of a black-haired woman and child rose to the forefront of his mind—before he tightened his fists. "I shall save you both."

XXXXXX

(The Ghost Zone—Clockwork's Lair)

Clockwork was sitting in his control center as he watched the two circular screens before him, with each depicting the actions of the two teenagers that had done his best to protect.

The teenager in the first screen had short, slightly wavy black hair and light blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt with a red circle on it, a pair of well-worn jeans, and white sneakers. This boy was Danny Fenton, the only half-Human half-Arrancar in existence and current protector of Amity Park. Clockwork knew that young Danny was going through a very troubling time as the boy tried to deal with new-found insecurities over his powers. And, while he did want to help the young man out, he knew that his presence at this point could negatively affect the timeline in ways that he could not hope to fix.

Clockwork then turned his attention over to the other screen that showed the other teenager that was important to the future. The boy in the second screen had short and spiky bright-orange hair and dark brown eyes that were above the permanent scowl on his face. He was dressed in the standard attire of all Shinigami with a thick brown belt across his chest that kept an enormous Zanpakutō on his back.

This teenager was fighting against a Hollow that looked like it was the offspring of a frog and a bat. This Hollow had a name, and its name was Shrieker. Shrieker was a Hollow that truly deserved the title of a monster for its actions, both in life and in death.

As a Hollow, Shrieker had killed a young Human boy before he had implanted the boy's soul into that of a parakeet. He tells the boy that if he could run away from the Hollow in his current form for 3 months, Shrieker would restore his mother to life. Of course he couldn't restore life to someone who has died, which meant that he had only started this game to gain more victims. Attempting to save the boy's soul, two Shinigami had been devoured by him until he came into contact with the orange-haired Shinigami.

The aforementioned orange-haired Shinigami had just finished dodging a couple of Shrieker's exploding leeches before his hand suddenly lunged forward towards the Hollow's head. His hand ripped through Shrieker's mask and gripped its forked tongue.

It was at that very moment that Cinq phased into view by Clockwork's side in a small gust of sand, "How are those two doing, Clockwork?"

"Ichigo is going fine with his temporary powers. He is just now finishing his battle against Shrieker." Clockwork answered before he sighed. "However, it looks like Danny is having some troubles."

On Danny's screen it showed the young black-haired man was currently looking very nervous with a copious amount of sweat around his forehead and armpits. It appeared that he had just woken up from a nightmare, a bad one at that if the look in Danny's eyes was any indication.

"Are we really doing the right thing?" Cinq murmured sorrowfully, the smile on his mask hiding his true feelings.

Clockwork's form shifted, becoming that of an old man with a long white beard. When he spoke again his tone was as weary as his current form. "It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. Nor does it matter if we tear our own souls apart in our regrets over what we must do. All that matters is those two young boys and the power that lies within them."

This seemed to anger Cinq as he whirled around to face his old friend. "This shouldn't be their fight, Clockwork! They shouldn't have to deal with our problems or our mistakes…" Cinq retorted.

Clockwork remained silent in the wake of his friend's anger. Then with but a wave of his staff the monitors shut off and he spoke again "If they don't fight, then there won't be much of a future for them to live in." Clockwork stated ominously in the darkness.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Casper High—Cafeteria)

After the Lunch Lady's attack on the football field, the PTA and members of Casper High's staff had begun meeting again to talk about the menu.

It was decided after much deliberation that Casper High would return to its former menu, though with a few changes. The school would now offer a salad bar for its vegetarian students. The school had also decided to offer some small, healthy side dishes that all the students could enjoy.

"That'll be $2.50."

Danny nodded before he quickly pulled out the required money and handed it over the lunch lady. The register rang with a faint "ding" as it opened before she put the money in, closed the register, and waved him off with her left hand.

Danny picked up his tray before he left the lunch lady and entered the cafeteria proper, making a beeline towards the place he and his friends usually sat at.

The cafeteria itself had white tiles covering the floor and dark-grey wallpaper that was partially concealed by posters put up by clubs. Students could sit in one of the white, plastic picnic bench-like tables that were organized in rows.

The table where Danny, Sam, and Tucker usually frequented sat by a large window which allowed them to get a glimpse of the football field. The table itself had some slight scarring—a few words carved into its surface with what looked to be pen—though it suited them just fine.

It had become their table the week the trio had entered Casper High. All of the other tables had been taken over by the various cliques that had formed back in middle school, of which none of the trio were a part of. Having little choice, the trio had made the table theirs, and it had grown over them the past few months.

Sam was already sitting at the table with her backpack lying opened next to her, with an unmoving plushy lying over her Algebra book. It was Sidney. The Ghost had changed houses after Danny's parents had begun sneaking around.

Just as Danny sat down at the table, Tucker came into view with his tray filled with meat. Like always, he sat on the right side of Danny, with Sam on his other side.

"You feeling better, Danny?" Tucker asked.

Danny sighed, "A little bit", before looking up at his two best friends, "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you guys…"

"It's okay—"

"No, it's not." Danny interrupted his friends. He didn't want to hear them say that it was okay. It wasn't okay. "I was purposely avoiding and not talking to you guys… It's just, things have been hard lately."

Sam put a hand on one of Danny's own while Tucker clapped him on the shoulder. "We're you're friends, dude. No matter how tough things get, we'll be there for you."

Danny told his friends about the fears and doubt that had—and still continued to—plague him since Skulker had been defeated. He told them of his nightmares and what happened in them.

By the end of his monologue, Danny felt as if another weight had been lifted from off his shoulders. It felt unbelievably good to tell his friends what was going on without editing it, like he had with Ms. Spectra.

Tucker and Sam's reactions were varied.

Tucker felt bad that he had been unable to help Danny. He was also a little angry at Danny for not coming to him and Sam sooner. Didn't Danny know that they were his friends? Didn't Danny know that he and Sam would do anything to help him?

Sam felt a little bit angry at Danny as well. She was angry that Danny hadn't told her about what was going on? Hadn't she told him what had been gnawing at her? She was also mad that he had lied to her, saying that he was fine.

But, seeing how bad Danny was feeling, Sam and Tucker shoved away these negative emotions. Right now Danny needed them and they could always be mad at him later.

"You're not a monster, Danny." Sam assured her friend.

Tucker nodded empathically, "Yeah! You can't be a monster; you don't go rampaging around town like that green dinosaur-like monster did in Tokyo! Now that was a monster."

"You mean Godzilla? Tucker, that was a movie!"

"Well, the principle is still the same!"

Danny cracked a smile at his friends argument. Even though he didn't like it when Sam and Tucker fought with each other over small stuff but now it actually made him feel a bit better. It was good to see his friends hadn't changed much, in spite of everything that happened to them.

"Hey, Fenton!" A loud and unfortunately familiar voice yelled out, ceasing all chatter in the cafeteria.

At once Tucker and Sam stopped their argument before they, and Danny, saw a very furious blonde football player walking towards them. Dash had a look of anger on his face, a far cry from his usual look of misplaced superiority, as he made his way over to their table.

"Great he looks real angry this time.' Danny thought as the jock got closer to them.

Danny sighed as the angry blonde stopped a couple feet away from them, "What do you want Dash? Can't you see that we're eating?"

"I want to know why you turned me into Spectra, Fen-turd!" Dash barked angrily, the veins on his neck straining, as if trying to escape. "Do you know how much trouble I've gotten in because of you!"

"No… enlighten me." Danny said in a deadpanned tone. To be perfectly honest Dash no longer inspired any sort of fear in Danny. After facing down the likes of Skulker and the Lunch Lady Dash was really just an annoyance.

"Because you ratted me out, I almost got kicked out of the football team! And that hag told me that she would be watching my grades!" Dash roared, face red with rage. "'One slip up or below C and you'll be kicked off the team'! Who does that old bag think she is?"

"Ooh~! Which 'old bag' is this?" A mockingly light tone said into Dash's right ear, which immediately froze the blonde in place.

Floating directly behind Dash was a man sized Ghost that was dressed as some sort of clown. The Ghost had a blue vest with a frilly white collar over a loose shirt with yellow and green stripes that led to frilled cuffs. The Ghost also wore a matching pair of yellow and green-striped parachute pants and blue jester shoes. On top of the Ghosts head, covering his long red hair, was a wide brimmed crimson hat that had a large set of feathers and fur coming out of it. and a red fedora hat with a purple feather.

The things that drew everyone's attention though were his purple hands that would move in disturbing patterns and the black and white mask that had perpetual eye smiles, giving him the look of utter delight.

"Don't look so frightened of poor ol' Pe-ten, child ~!" The clown-like Ghost—Peten, presumably—cackled. "Peten is just here to have some fun~!"

With but a wave of his hand, Peten created over a dozen floating, slightly translucent green daggers. Dash screamed when he saw the daggers which caused everyone else to start screaming. Everything then degenerated into chaos at that point as people abandoned their seats, dropped whatever they had, and ran towards the doors.

Peten cackled as he lovingly petted one of his daggers, "Peten so enjoys it when the little peoples run~!"

Peten then launched his daggers towards the fleeing, screaming students only for each of them to be blocked by a single piece of paper. Peten turned to where the papers had come from to see who had ruined his fun when he saw an odd sight, a flying penguin. Sidney was floating in fid air in front of the deranged clown as his tiny bat wings flapped furiously to keep him in the air. Sydney had escaped Sam's backpack earlier and was given a plan on what to do from Tucker. So with all of his courage Sydeny began glaring at Peten, though the effect was somewhat lost since he was still trapped in an adorable doll.

"Ooh~! Looksie, Peten sees a little flying penguin!" Peten squealed as he began to dance in midair. He clapped his hands together before folding them underneath his chin. "Does the penguin wish to play with Peten~?"

Sidney muttered under his breath, "Not really…", before pasting a fake, shaky smile on his face. "S-Sure! Follow me and we'll play, Peten!"

With that, Sidney raised his flippers into the air and dropped to the ground just as a trio of knives flew through the space where he just was. Seeing how close he was to being sliced in thirds Sydeny turned around and ran out of the cafeteria with his flippers waving like mad and his peg-legs becoming only blurs as he put all of his years of running away experience into play. He needed to lead Peten away from the cafeteria before his already low levels of energy completely ran out.

Peten laughed manically before he zoomed off after Sidney, snapping his purple fingers to create more of his daggers before throwing them at the "Penguin". The fact that said "Penguin" was able to dodge each dagger only caused him to grin further.

This was going to be fun!

After running through the deserted hallways of the school for a few minutes, Sidney ran through the doors to the gym, with Peten naught but a few seconds behind. The crazed clown Ghost burst through the doors and blinked when he saw that the "Penguin" was gone. Where had the "Penguin" gone to?

While he was looking for the "Penguin", Peten caught sight of the white-haired Arrancar standing in the middle of the gym. Peten remembered the mission that the icky scientist's zombie had sent him to do; kill the white-haired Arrancar. Peten's grin grew even wider at the thought of dying that Arrancar's hair red with his own blood. His earlier thoughts about the "Penguin" were already gone as he materialized his daggers besides him.

"Hello~!" Peten greeted in his usual joyful and deranged manner. "Peten is here to kill you, white-hair!"

With that, Peten launched his daggers towards Danny with the intent of making him a pincushion. Danny didn't bother moving from his spot as he calmly shut his eyes in the face of the incoming blades. Peten was disappointed that the white hair didn't run, it was no fun if he would give up to easily.

A loud, "clang"-like sound rang out through the gym.

Then Peten's smile twitched a bit when all of his daggers bounced of the Arrancar's skin and clothing as if they were made out of iron.

"White-Hair's stronger than Peten thought White-Hair'd be!" Peten exclaimed. He smiled again before he clapped his hands together, summoning another couple dozen daggers around himself. "Meutre Cirque (Murder Circus)!"

With that, Peten launched his daggers towards Danny once more. However, when the daggers had flown two feet away from Peten, swirling greenish-red portals appeared before each dagger. The daggers then proceeded to fly into the portals, which closed as soon as the daggers had finished going through them.

Danny looked confused and more than a little bit wary at the turn of events. He had been ready for another barrage of Peten's knifes, though he hadn't expected Peten to be able to form what looked to be some sort of portal.

This did not bode well for him.

Using Pesquisa to see if he could sense what was going on, Danny was alerted to the amount of spiritual energy around himself before over twenty reddish-green portal erupted into existence behind him. He lunged forward and away from the daggers that surged forth with his hand already moving to his sword.

Once he got his sword free from its sheath, Danny turned around mid-leap and tried to cut at the approaching daggers. Unfortunately Danny was unable to do so as the daggers had once again entered another set of portals.

"White-Hair think Peten stupid?" Peten demanded with his grin never leaving his face. "Peten KNOWS what White-Hair will do! Peten isn't a one-trick pony!" With that Peten created more daggers and threw them into more of his portals.

For the next several minutes, Peten would send his daggers through a portal towards Danny's back in an attempt to injure the Arrancar. Through liberal use of Pesquisa and his own developing battle instincts Danny would dodge the flying knives and Peten would form portals to absorb them again. This cycle continued on until Danny had had enough.

Danny put his sword back into its sheath before he began to gather a low amount of power into his right hand. While he knew that what he was going to attempt was dangerous, to the gym at least, he had no other choice right now. Once his technique was complete spun around, with his right hand held at eye level, and released his attack, "Cero!"

With that, Danny's ice-blue Cero surged forward, consuming the majority of Peten's daggers before continuing onwards to Peten himself. The crazed clown Ghost's eyes widened as the top part of his fedora hat was vaporized by the energy blast.

That Cero could've just as easily vaporized Peten's head as it did the Ghost's hat and Peten knew this.

Peten dropped to the ground on his butt in a light sweat before he crab-walked backwards, away from Danny. The normal ear to ear smile on his face was turned upside down as he looked at the white haired Arrancar . "Stay away from Peten, monster! Peten say, get away from Peten!"

At the word "monster", Danny's eyes had widened as his body froze up of its own accord. That single word brought his most recent fears and insecurities about himself to the surface causing him to ignore his downed opponent.

Peten, seeing Danny's hesitation, slowly regained his former smile, "Ah… Perhaps White-Hair more like Peten… Tell Peten White-Hair, how many enemies has White-Hair defeated? How many people has White-Hair brutalized? How many—" Before Peten could continue, he suddenly stopped. His eyes dilated as an intricate web of green circuitry formed on Peten's mask. The very air around Peten trembled slightly as the feeling of madness grew. "Peten must...KILL YOU ALL! Mort du Clown (Death of the Clown)."

With that, nine jugglers' knifes materialized into being around Peten, each thrashing widely in the air before Peten grabbed one of them. At Peten's silent command, the knives were consumed within eight different portals, which then appeared all around Danny's body.

As the jugglers' knives surged out of Peten's portals, Peten himself lunged forward with the knife in his hands aimed at the Arrancar's eyes. While his knives would be aiming for eight vital points on White-Hair's body, he would be aiming for White-Hair's eyes. He wanted them to be for ingrained in a look of pain as he carved them straight from his body.

either of Peten's attacks ever connected as Tucker and Sam—previously hiding behind the bleachers—took action. A small amount of green light appeared around both teenagers' feet before they simply vanished.

Within the next second, Tucker appeared before Peten before he planted his elbow into the demented clown's face. The force of the attack sent Peten towards the ground which then became slightly cracked from the force of his impact.

Sam, on the other hand, appeared in front of Danny before her arms—holding her practice sword—became a blur. One by one, the knives that had been flying towards Danny's vital points were deflected, whereupon they flew to the ground, having been cut in two.

Peten by this time had managed to push himself upright and could only look on in abstract shock as the two humans displayed powers that were unheard of to him. "How is this possible? How could you hurt Peten like this? Your only humans, you're not supposed to be this strong!"

"It's because we trained." Tucker responded as got into his Muy Thai stance.

Sam lowered her practice sword 'till it faced the ground. "We trained until our hands began to bleed and we collapsed from exhaustion, but through that effort we've grown."

Green light formed around Sam's feet before, like before, she suddenly disappeared. Sam reappeared in front of Peten and was already swinging her sword down at the Ghost.

Peten cried out as the edgeless wooden blade, which was now coated in a faint green energy, cut into him. While Peten was stunned from her sword attack Sam delivered a harsh kick into his side, sending him tumbling over the ground and away from the catatonic Danny. The crazed Ghost finally came to a rest when he crashed against the bleachers, groaning as he did so.

"Goodbye, Peten." Sidney whispered as he finally allowed himself to become visible, the opened Fenton Thermos in his hands ready to capture the deranged clown.

Peten never even got the chance to scream before he was sucked into the Fenton Thermos in a brilliant display of white and green lights. As soon as Peten's small frame had been fully captured, Sidney capped the lid back onto the thermos before he set it down on the ground next to him.

It was at that moment that Danny snapped out of his sudden stupor, releasing an unintentional Pesquisa. Unlike the last time he had used it, the flames that made up Sam and Tucker were now even brighter and the colors were crystal clear. The flames were a dark teal in color instead of a chaotic mixture of blue and green flames.

"How have you guys gotten so strong?" Danny asked his friends. Tucker and Sam turned to him with a set of proud smiles on their faces. "I mean, last week the flames that you guys were made of were a mixture of blue and green flames… now they're solid teal."

Sam frowned in confusion at her friend's statement but answered anyways, "I don't know about these 'flames', but ever since your battle with Skulker I've noticed that i started gaining some powers of my own."

"After Skulker, we started to experiment with them when something strange happened." Tucker admitted. "It was really hard at first to call upon the energy that caused them, not to mention exhausting, but it's started to become easier once we practiced with it."

"While it isn't much, at least we can help you now, Danny." Sam said as she sheathed her practice sword

Danny found himself happy that his friends would want to help him with his battles. However, he knew he shouldn't be too surprised that they wanted to be more then side helpers; Sam and Tucker had been there for him every step of way and they wanted to continue doing so. He smiled as he was about to thank them, but he was interrupted before he ever got the chance to speak. All of a sudden the windows near the ceiling of the gym were shattered as dark shape burst into the building and began surrounding Danny and his friends.

Coming in from all sides of the gymnasium were teams of two-legged humanoids wearing full-bodied SWAT uniforms, including helmets, which quickly fell into a tight perimeter around the Danny and his friends. Once they had Danny surrounded all of the enemies hefted riot shields in front of them and trained their weapons at the four that they had encircled. When Danny saw the deadly weapons were aimed at him and his friends he instantly sprang into action.

Disappearing with a Sonido, Danny reappeared before the enemies closest to him and his friends and began knocking them away with a few well-placed punches and kicks. Then, while the first group was down, Danny vanished again and started mowing down the guys in the back of the gym.

Sam was cheering Danny on when she happened to look down at one of the enemies that Danny had already defeated. Sam froze in shock at what she saw, the things helmet had been knocked off when Danny had smacked him in the head, there laying on the ground was an unconscious human. Sam whirled around just in time to see Danny send three more of the SWAT humans into the stands when she yelled out what she discovered, "Danny! These guys are Humans!"

Danny froze just as he was about to Spartan kick another enemy. 'These guys are human?'

Having gotten up from Danny's assault, and seeing Danny's new-found hesitation, the SWAT guys took advantage. One SWAT guy quickly removed what appeared to be a rubix cube before he hurled it towards Danny.

While in the air, the rubix cube twisted itself into completion before it landed by Danny's feet. Danny barely managed a confused "What" before a small section of the rubix cube opened up and a bright light began to pour out from it. Before Danny could move away from the strange object he felt a strong pulling forcing him to close to the cube. When he was two feet away from it the force became stronger and he was sucked into the cube as he could do nothing to stop it.

Sam's eyes widened with shock, "… What? How could they have—?" Eyes narrowing, green light gathered at her feet again before she vanished. "I won't let you take Danny!"

"Retrieve the target." Ordered one of the SWAT in a dead tone of voice.

The SWATs surged forward from all over the room, heading towards the rubix cube to follow their orders. However, just before they got there, Tucker appeared directly above them, clasped hands raised high above his head.

"Denied!"

With that, Tucker slammed his fists into one SWAT guy's head before he landed. However, as soon as he landed, Tucker was shot by three tranquilizer darts in his back. It was only seconds later when he fell forward, unconscious.

The same fate awaited Sam when she reappeared next to the rubix cube, though she was shot with five darts instead of three. The last image Sam saw before her vision went black was the unhelmeted SWAT pick up the rubix cube before storing it in one of his vest's pockets.

"The target is secured...returning to the labs."

_'No Danny...'_

* * *

><p><span>Techniques:<span>

1. Meutre Cirque (Murder Circus): With this technique, Peten summons a multitude of daggers before he sends them off towards his opponent. When in flight, the daggers fly through portals, the reappear in a place according to Peten's will.

2. Mort du Clown (Death of the Clown): With this technique, Peten creates eight jugglers' knives before, like Meutre Cirque, he envelops them in portals. The portals then open above the target's eight vital points before surging forward, killing him/her.


	15. Chapter 15:

Disclaimer: I don't anything related to Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter Fifteen:<p>

* * *

><p>Sam's tired eyes slowly opened up only for them to snap shut from the bright florescent light that was shining down on her face. Irritated, she tried to turn over and get away from the bright light. She was too tired and did not want to get up just yet. Eventually though she noticed something.<p>

As soon as Sam had attempted to move, she found out that her body appeared to be much heavier than before. She struggled with it for a couple of minutes before she finally managed to turn over slightly, hands brushing across warm skin.

...Wait, skin?

Sam's eyes snapped open only to realize that this was a bad idea. Light stabbed into her eyes like little needles, forcing her to close her eyes out of reflex. She rubbed her shut eyes for a few seconds before she tried again. This time she made sure to take it slow, so her eyes wouldn't be overwhelmed by the light.

With her eyes open, Sam found that she was lying on the floor in the middle of a gym, her school's gym to be precise, with Tucker lying beside her in a very deep sleep. She was confused for a moment, wondering how she could have possibly gotten in this position, when it all came rushing back to her.

She remembered Peten's attack and how she and her friends had lured him to the gym so that they could fight without any distractions. She remembered watching Danny fight Peten with relative ease until Peten called him a monster. She remembered watching Danny freeze up before she and Tucker acted, beating Peten and saving Danny. She remembered how Sidney sucked Peten into the Fenton Thermos and the feeling of bride that came with defeating their first ghost without Danny's help, mostly. Then she remembered those SWAT guys arriving on the scene just as they were about to leave. Danny tried fighting them until she had discovered that the enemies were human. Then Danny could no longer raise his fists against the enemies and they obviously took advantage of that fact. Using that strange device the SWAT guys captured Danny and knocked her and Tucker out.

She remembered it all in oh so horrifying clarity.

"Tucker!" Sam forced herself to get onto her feet despite her bodies protest, somehow knowing that it was a side effect of whatever she had been shot with. She shook Tucker's shoulders urgently as she tried to wake him up, "C'mon, Tucker! Tucker, wake up!"

Tucker groaned a bit before he mumbled something, "… But mom, I don't… I don't wanna give the flamingo my meat…" Tucker said as he rolled over away from Sam.

Sam's eyebrow twitched once, then twice at the fact that only Tucker could have a nightmare about his meat being stolen. Spotting her practice sword on the ground near her, Sam grabbed it before bringing over her head in a basic stance for a downwards slash.

"Get up, Tucker!" Sam yelled as she brought the wooden sword down on Tucker's head with a satisfying smack

Tucker yelped like a kicked puppy as he recoiled from the sudden blow to his head as his hands darted towards where Sam had hit him. He began a soft mantra of "ow" for a couple of moments as the pain slowly dulled away to a slow throb.

"Are you done yet, Tucker?" Sam demanded as she rested her sword on her shoulder.

Tucker opened his eyes just to glare at Sam even as he continued rubbing his now sore head, "Why did you have to hit me of the forehead? Didn't you know that I was having a good dream?"

"Oh, I'm sorry that I interrupted your 'good dream', Tucker. Why don't you just go back to sleep while I try to deal with the fact that—" Now standing with her fists clenched, Sam looked down at her friend. "—DANNY HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

Tucker managed to get out a "What are you talking" before everything came back to him in an instant. As soon as the sudden onslaught of memories had stopped, Tucker gripped his hat with a panicked expression on his face.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man! This is bad! This is VERY bad!" Tucker babbled as he grew increasingly more panicked over the situation. Turning to Sam with a lost expression on his face, Tucker frantically waved his arms around as he continued babbling. "What are we going to do? Danny has been kidnapped!"

Sam hit Tucker with her practice sword again, instantly shutting him up and forcing him into a fetal position as he had to deal with the pain of another headache. After a bit of time nurturing his aching head Tucker looked up at Sam and was now somewhat calmer, though he still remained on the floor.

"OWW! Why do you keep hitting me?

Sam rolled her eyes slightly before she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt and lifted him onto his feet.

"You keep panicking and right now that's the last thing we need. Do you think panicking will solve anything here, Tucker?" Sam demanded before continuing on, not allowing for any response Tucker could've made. "No, it won't! It won't help us find where Danny is or getting him back!"

"How are we going to find him?" Tucker asked.

Sam paused. She thought about how they could track Danny, maybe they could do what they did before, with Skulker, though she realized that plan wasn't viable. Those guys didn't use spiritual energy so she wouldn't recognize their ribbons if she saw them and Danny had been sucked into that rubix cube so his ribbon may have been hidden.

If they couldn't use their new powers to find Danny, then how were they supposed to find him then?

Sam let go of Tucker's shirt as the depressing truth settled on her, "I… I don't know, Tuck."

Then, when all hope seemed to be lost, a small piece of paper in the shape of a butterfly fluttered down in between the two teenagers. Having seen it first, and not considering any possible consequences that may happen from his actions, Tucker grabbed onto the butterfly and unfolded it.

"Tucker—!" Sam protested.

"Relax, Sam; it's nothing dangerous." Tucker said after a moment of skimming through its contents. "It's from Sidney." He looked up from the note and straight at Sam. "He went after them."

Sam snatched the note out of Tucker's hands, ignoring his startled "Hey!" of protest, before she began reading it.

_Dear Sam and Tucker,_

_By the time you've read this letter I'll have been gone from the gym..._

XXXXXX

(One hour ago—Casper High—Gym)

All Sidney could do at the moment was just lay there with a blank expression on his face—unmoving—as his mind and emotions reeled from what had occurred. What was still occurring.

Sidney had never expected for those weirdly-dressed people, Humans if Sam's earlier warnings were to be believed, to have arrived so soon after they had beaten and captured Peten. He hadn't expected for Danny to freeze up at the revelation, or be captured by a multicolored cube so easily.

Sydney decided that he should play plushy when he saw Tucker get shot down by three strange darts which had dug through his shirt and into his back. Whatever was in those needles must've been pretty potent since he had then fallen forward, dead to the world, straight away.

Sam had just appeared next to the fallen cube and tried to pick it up only to be felled with five of the same darts that had brought Tucker down.

As Sam fell down, the Human that was missing his helmet picked up the rubix cube before storing it in one of his vest pockets. "The target is secured… returning to the labs."

After a few seconds pause, one of those black-garbed Humans began walking over towards Sidney's location. Inside the plushy, Sidney began to freak out, wondering if they knew he wasn't just an ordinary plushy, though, on the outside, the plushy was completely inanimate.

"Secondary target…" The Human began as he stopped directly before Sidney. He then began reaching down, gloved hand poised to pick up Sidney.

_'No, no, no, no! Don't grab me you crazy cat! I'm just an ordinary doll! La-la-la!'_ Sidney thought as his panic rose, sweating slightly inside the plushy. _'I'm just a doll! Don't pick me up! DON'T PICK ME UP!'_

The Human then proceeded to grab the Fenton Thermos, which was lying on the ground near Sidney's head. With that done, the Human withdrew and said something to his comrades, though Sidney didn't hear exactly what was said.

_'He didn't grab me! He didn't grab me~!'_ Sidney thought happily.

Internally Sidney was dancing over his sudden luck, though he stopped when he heard the Human speak again. "Secondary target… Peten has been retrieved. Returning to labs…"

With that said, all of the Humans quickly filed out of the gym, whereupon Sidney stood up on his peg-legs. He looked around the gym—at the slightly cracked floor, at Sam and Tucker's fallen forms, and where Danny had stood.

"What should I do now?" Sidney mumbled aloud, looking scared. "I'm… I'm not like Danny… I'm not that strong…" An image of Danny shooting a Cero and destroying his mirror flashed through his mind. "Danny… He helped me." A determined expression came across his face. "I can't just let this happen… I have to try and help him!"

Sidney then quickly summoned a small scrap of paper before he took out a small, though huge to him, pen from the pouch around his waist. He then began to write on the paper at a furious pace. Then, once he was finished, he threw the paper into the air where it folded itself into a paper butterfly.

With that done, Sidney nodded to himself before he took off after the Humans. He needed to get to following them before they got too far away.

XXXXXX

_This paper should lead you to me and I should have found where thy have kept Danny._

_-Sydney_

As soon as Sam had finished reading Sidney's letter it leapt out of her hands and refolded itself back into a butterfly. It then proceeded to hover in the air for a couple of seconds before it began to fly towards the exit of the gym.

Sam and Tucker looked at each other for a moment before they nodded to each other. Then they disappeared in flashes of green light as they followed the paper butterfly.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Danny)

When Danny finally returned to consciousness, he knew that he was not at the school's gym anymore. He slowly tried to open his eyes but closed them a millisecond later as bright—way too bright—light stabbed into his eyes. He repeatedly opened and closed his eyes slowly, allowing them to get used to the light. Then, once he was fully used to the light, he looked around himself to see just where he was.

Danny found himself inside some kind of conical, egg-shaped device. He was restrained with what appeared to be hundreds of wires that were wrapped around his body, binding him to the machine that he was inside of.

Confused and not fully aware of himself yet, Danny tried to upright himself into a sitting position. This proved to be a terrible idea since not even a millisecond later what felt like one hundred thousand volts of pure electricity poured into his body, making him scream bloody murder.

"AAAARRRGGGHHHH!"

Eventually the electricity stopped flowing, which Danny was infinitely grateful for. He then flopped back into his former position, reeling from the aftereffects of the sudden surge, while sucking in huge gulps of air. His skin tingled and hurt very badly while other portions of his body simply ached.

When the pain his body was in fully dulled into where he could actively ignore it, Danny heard a noise in the background. Listening closer, he realized the noise was actually laughter; someone was laughing at his pain.

Danny swiveled his eyes, for he did not dare move his head, towards the area where the laughter was coming from and saw what he assumed to be his captor. The ghost, because Danny seriously doubted it could be anything else, had green skin with a shock of white hair—styled in the standard "Mad Scientist" look—and black sunglasses. The Ghost was wearing what appeared to be a newly ironed white lab-coat and eerie, elbow-length gloves that were stained with an assortment of oils and fluids.

"I suggest that you don't try that again." The white-haired Ghost advised as he floated over to a control panel by Danny's pod. He then leaned forward until his face almost touched the glass separating him from Danny. "I don't want my precious power supply to be damaged, after all."

Danny's eyes narrowed at the ghost, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I'm going to be using you to power an old invention of mine, boy." The Ghost answered as he flipped a switch, causing green gas began to emerge from a side panel in Danny's pod before it began to fill it.

The instant that Danny took a breath of the gas, he could feel himself getting drowsy. He tried to fight it but he still had to breathe, leading to him taking him more of the gas, which caused him to get even sleepier.

The image of the grinning Ghost was the last thing that his eyes saw.

XXXXXX

(Later—With Sam and Tucker)

After following Sidney's butterfly for twenty minutes, the butterfly suddenly stopped at the top of Peter's Hill. The sun had set a long time ago and the cold of night began to win over the leftover heat of the day. The full moon hung in the sky as it illuminated the landscape in an eerie low light that cut through the darkness.

Some distance from the bottom of the hill was a massive facility that appeared to be double the size of Casper High. The facility itself was composed of one main building, five smaller buildings, and two hangers. Each hanger had an average-sized, lighted runway, though the first runway was empty while the second runway possessed a couple of planes. From this distance, Sam and Tucker could barely make out the movement of guards that patrolled the perimeter.

"Is that where Danny is?" Tucker wondered aloud, his voice cutting through the silence of the night.

"Yes." A familiar nastily voice said from behind the two.

Startled by the sudden, unexpected answer, both teenagers quickly turned to see who had snuck up behind them. Each of them got ready to battle whoever had snuck up behind them, Tucker sliding into his Muy Thai stance while Sam unsheathed her practice sword.

When they fully spun around they scanned the area for the enemy, though what they saw surprised them. Instead of a highly trained assassin like they expected, they saw a plain old cardboard box resting on the ground. It was sitting there as if it it wasn't out of place in the wide empty field.

Sam's grip slackened on her practice sword as she spared a weary glance at Tucker, "Tucker…"

"Yes Sam?" Tucked asked as he lowered his fist and knee.

Sam then loosely pointed her sword at the box, "Did that cardboard box just talk to us?"

"I believe it did Sam."

Earlier this year, either teenager would probably have remarked about the box "talking" to them, but not now. They had been through some unusual things lately so a talking box wasn't that farfetched.

The cardboard box then moved a little bit, causing Sam and Tucker to tense up and re-ready their fighting stances. They relaxed though when a small flipper came out from underneath it. The front of the box was then lifted by said flipper, whereupon Sidney's crouching form was revealed.

Relieved that it was Sidney instead of somebody, or something else, Sam and Tucker let down their guards.

Sidney!" Tucker greeted his friend with a faint grin before he turned his attention to the upturned box. "Why were you hiding underneath that box…?"

Sidney rubbed the back of his head with a flipper, "Well, I couldn't maintain my invisibility for that long… and I found this box lying on the side of the road not far from your school…" He paused so that he could fold up the box and put it away in his fanny pack. "It's amazing how little attention the people I saw on the way here give an ordinary cardboard box."

"Talk about a low-tech disguise…" Tucker muttered.

Sam ignored him, "Sidney, have you found Danny yet?"

"Yes. Those nefarious cats have him inside that main building, over there." Sidney answered as he pointed to the largest of the buildings. Sydney then lowered his head in shame as he continued talking. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you what room he's being held in, the security became too tight for me to slip through."

Sam could see that Sydney was really beating himself up over this so she quickly comforted him, "At least you found at where he was Sidney."

While this was happening, Tucker was busy fiddling with his PDA. His stylus pen was a blur of motion as he rapidly worked on his PDA, a bright green glow illuminating his face.

"Aha!" Tucker's sudden exclamation startled Sidney and Sam, causing them to turn. Tucker was smiling at them, holding up his now-normal, non-glowing PDA. "I got it!"

"What are you talking about, Tucker?" Sam asked.

Instead of answering verbally, Tucker handed over his PDA so Sam could view what was on it. She spared a confused glance at her friend before her eyes began to scroll through what appeared to be a set of blueprints. Sam was confused at why Tucker downloaded some sort of blueprints onto his PDA until she spied the buildings name in the corner of the plans. No, that couldn't be. Tucker didn't even know the name of the facility! "These are the blueprints to Axion Labs."

Those buildings down there were the Axion Labs? Axion Labs was a research facility/factory that mainly focused on developing military aircraft, though its reach did extend into other fields. Fields like stealth, radar, and even weapon's development.

Now, that Sam thought about it, it was rather obvious that facility was the Axion Labs. She had heard about it around town, after all it was a major part of the community, though she had never known exactly where it was before.

However, that wasn't important right now. What was important was a group of armed men had kidnapped Danny and had taken him here. Though their reason may have been unclear to Sam, Tucker, and Sidney they knew that they would have to break into the labs to find Danny.

Sam's eyes hardened with determination before she turned her attention back to Sydney, "Can you point out the area where you got into the building Sidney?"

When Sidney nodded, Tucker bent down before he allowed the paper-manipulating Ghost to look at the blueprints on his PDA. Sidney looked between Axion Labs and the blueprints themselves for a couple of minutes before he nodded to himself.

Sidney then proceeded to open his pouch and a virtual river of paper surged forth into the air. Twisting and turning, the paper collided with itself before it slowly began to take shape. It was a larger version of the blueprints for Axion Labs that was on the PDA but with a single entrance colored a dark grey.

"So…" Panting, Sidney removed a small sharpie from his pouch and uncapped it. He then jumped up onto his map before he made a small mark near the darkened entrance. "This is where I came in…" He then began to draw a line, "And this is where I followed them."

Sidney the proceeded to trace through the corridors of the map, paused a couple of times, and drew a couple of small, big-headed zombie-like things.

"What are those?" Tucker asked as he eyed the drawn zombies on the paper.

Sidney looked up at Tucker's question, "All of the people inside of the lab aren't normal; they have grey skin and green, circuit-like markings all over their bodies… It was rather creepy, watching them move around like that."

"I'll bet." Tucker muttered to himself.

"Do you know where Danny is in the building?" Sam asked she tried to commit the map to memory.

Sidney shook his head in the negative, "I'm sorry, but…even if I stayed hidden underneath the box I would've been caught since the number of guards kept increasing." He drew a multitude of zombies through the hallway he had followed Danny's kidnappers through before he made another line going backwards.

Once Sidney had finished, both Sam and Tucker overlooked his work. It seemed that there were fewer of those zombies near the entrance—besides the patrolling guards—though more of them continued to show up the farther one went into the facility.

So, using this information, it could be assumed that getting into the facility would be easy. However, with all of those zombies, merely getting deep enough into the facility to find out where Danny was would be quite the problem.

Tucker frowned, "Guys… We need a plan."

XXXXXX  
>(Amity Park—Axion Labs—Room #110)<p>

Within the bowels of Axion Labs, Technus was watching one of the floating screens as it floated above his hand. "So…" Technus muttered to himself as he looked at a small screen, frowning slightly as he watched the three interlopers from one of his spy cameras. "I knew that his friends had begun to manifest powers of their own… but, to completely throw off the effects of those tranquilizers so soon…"

Sighing, Technus waved his hand as the screen flew off to join the others. He then moved over to the array of controls that connected with the Arrancar's containment unit. He fiddled around with the dull-colored buttons and nobs for a few seconds, and then turned around to face the Arrancar's pod. A light gray-colored smoke had begun to pour into the Arrancar's pod and obscured Danny from view.

"Everything is working as expected. However, those friends of his could prove to be quite the little nuisances if they manage to get here…" Technus muttered as he tried to think of a solution to his problems.

Technus' gloved hand then darted over to the side of his control pad before he grabbed hold of a black lever and pulled it down. With his task accomplished, he moved over to the side of the lab as the hum of machinery grew louder and louder. After a bit the tiles in the middle of the room moving aside as something came up from the lower levels.

His machine, now fully upgraded thanks to today's modern technology, slowly emerged from the dark abyss until it fully emerged into the room. Its main body now resembled a large super computer mainframe as its control panel and display screen ready for use. Connected to either side of the main body were the two large glass tubes that were securely fastened with hundreds of strong cables and wires.

The tubes were now filled with a dark-red liquid that almost looked like blood. Finally, sitting on the control panel, were the two golden pyramids that he took great precautions with in securing.

After gently taking the pyramids into his hands Technus pulled a lever on the side of the machine which then caused the lids of the two tubes to fly open. He then placed one pyramid inside each tube and watched them float to the bottom of the liquid, before resealing the tubes.

"Now… what to do about those children?" Technus mused to himself for a moment before sighing heavily. "It would complicate matters if they were to die—who knows if they left a note or such?—but I cannot allow them to interfere!"

Thinking about it, Technus soon had a moment of enlightenment. With his modifications to Axion Labs and all of the Humans under his control, it should be a simple matter to corner those children and then capture them. After their capture, he could always use that memory-manipulator that he had developed for the Humans under his control. Then, after wiping their memories, he could send them off to their regular lives, thinking that their friend had simply run away.

Technus frowned, "Or I could simply get rid of the brats outright and be done with it." The Ghost then paused for a couple of moments before he nodded to himself. "I don't have time for all of the details involved in memory-replacement anyways to many chances of messing with their personalities and then someone would know something is amiss."

Decision made, Technus took the next few moments to contemplate on how he would get rid of the two teenagers. Various scenarios ran through his mind, each more elaborate than the last, but he rejected most as them, as they would require his presence and in some cases a shark tank filled with sharks with lasers on their heads. Eventually though he came up with a solution that didn't need his presence and fulfilled the necessary flare that all his plans required.

"I'll just lead the brats to my newest invention. That is, if they manage to get past the Humans…" Technus mused as he flipped a switch on his control panel.

Technus' machine then slowly powered on, causing the lights to flicker momentarily before they fully illuminated. After a moment the machine shook to life as steam began to pour out from the bottom of the machine's vents.

As the screen came to life, Technus pushed his glasses upwards with a forefinger. "Let the games… begin."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Axion Labs)

From the southern exit of Axion Labs, near the second hanger, came two guards on their standard patrol. Like most of the other guards these two were decked out in the full SWAT gear that hid the green circuitry that covered every member of the facility.

"Patrol the lab…" One of the black-garbed people rumbled slowly as he and the other guard began their rounds.

The other took a step forward, crunching the gravel underneath his feet as he did so, "Capture and destroy… intruders."

The two guards continued on until one of them heard gravel being crushed underfoot around the next corner. Alerted, both guards drew a pair of high tech looking handguns and slowly advanced to the corner. Hands on the trigger, they went to confront whatever had made that noise and eliminate them.

Turning around the corner, the two guards vanished from view. After a couple moments of pure, unnatural silence there were came two flashes of green-colored light followed by the sounds of a struggle, but there was no sounds of gunfire. After a few minutes of silence two figures wearing the guard's uniforms walked out from the corner and made their way to the door.

"So, what's the next part of the plan?"

Tucker removed a keycard from the pocket of his new vest—having found it when disabling the two guards—before he swiped it at the keypad near the door. With a hiss, the door slid open, revealing the brightly-lit hallway beyond.

"We go in, find a room where I can hack into the security cameras, use them to find Danny, rescue him, and kick the buts of anyone that gets in our way." Tucker answered.

Sam looked at him, "So… where are we going to hack in? The control room?"

"No." Tucker said, shaking his head. "The control room would be the first place they would expect for us to go. Not to mention that, according to the blueprints, it's on the other end of the building. No, I think a storage room would be good."

"Why?"

"Well, storage rooms aren't usually that well-monitored unless they contain REALLY important stuff." Tucker responded. "Also, some storage rooms have electrical panels or other such things that I can hack into."

Sam looked at him strangely, "How do you know all of this?"

"Well… the blueprints were really helpful… that's all." Tucker answered.

Further conversation was stalled when the two teenagers saw another two uniformed men walking down the hall. Sweating slightly, both of them made sure to match the slower pace that the guards walked at, hoping that they wouldn't be discovered.

The guards quickly approached Sam and Tucker before the slightly taller of the two began to speak in a slow monotone.

"Intruders? Any problems?" The guard grunted out as he stared at Sam and Tucker. Sam looked at tucker for a few seconds as if asking him what to do before she turned to look at the guards.

"No." Sam grunted in a weak attempt to mimic the guard. "No problem… no intruder."

The guard was silent for a while, making Tucker and Sam sweat underneath their disguises. Eventually the guard spoke up,

"Good. Resume patrol." The guard ordered before he and his companion began to resume their own patrols, the action relieving both teenagers.

Sam and Tucker hadn't gotten very far when the loudspeakers around them, and throughout the entire building, crackled to life. Then, someone with what appeared to be a Russian accent began to speak:

"Testing… testing… is this thing on…? Of course it is on… I adapted the technology, after all…" The voice muttered. There was a brief pause. "Attention all mindless peons under my command, I just wanted to take this moment to thank the one person who brought this all together. The one man, whose unsurpassed intellect and hip fashion sense to do the impossible...ME! But I know that you peons played a small part in helping me complete my hip plans. So why don't you all give yourselves a round of applause?"

The Guards and controlled scientists stopped what they were doing and, very slowly, clapped three times.

"Okay that's enough of that. Now on to the main event!";

With that, the voice stopped talking. Instead a bloodcurdling scream was sent through the loudspeaker, severely shocking and alarming both teenagers. Both of them recognized the voice that scream belonged to.

It belonged to Danny.

* * *

><p>Omake: Who is the craziest scientist, the game show!<p>

* * *

><p>"Welcome to 'Who is the craziest scientist!', with our host Chash123!"<p>

Stepping out from behind a red velvet curtain was "Chash" Chash123, who was wearing a very dapper-looking blue tuxedo. Chash's hair was slicked back, revealing the small, plastic headset that he was wearing over his right ear.

The crowd roared.

"Thank you all for coming out for tonight's edition of 'Who is the craziest scientist'!" Chash called out, punctuating each word of the game show's name with a punch to the air. "Now, let's meet our three mad contestants!

"Here, straight from the 12th Division of the Soul Society, is our first contestant. He enjoys dangerously gruesome experiments, has created his own child in a tube, and enjoys long walks in the rock gardens. Please give a big welcome to Mayuri Kurotsuchi!"

A light was then fell upon one Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who was standing behind a small podium, which caused him to smile as he waved to the crowd. "I only came here because he promised me access to the Ghost Zone." His grin grew sinister. "I can't wait to begin experimentation."

"Next, we have the Octava Espada and Head of the Arrancar Research Institute, Szayel Aporro Granz!" Chash announced. "He enjoys experimenting on any living or nonliving creature, furthering his own scientific knowledge, and spending time practicing the opera!"

Another light fell, revealing Szayel Aporro Granz to be standing behind a small podium next to Mayuri. Szayel smirked, the light that glinted off his glasses making them appear as white screens. "Why don't you just give up already? I am the perfect being after all."

"Finally, we have the self-proclaimed Master of all Technology; Nicolai Technus! He enjoys taking control and modifying technology, gloating, and practicing the modern lingo!"

"I don't enjoy gloating!" Technus growled out from his podium as light revealed him floating, arms crossed in front of him. "I just like to let me enemies know how out-classed they are. For I am Technus, the hip Master of all Technology!"

Chash ignored him, "And now, our judges!" Lights came down to reveal a table with three shadowed figures. "First, we have Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Shinigami of Karakura Town!"

"Why am I here again?" Ichigo muttered to himself as his spotlight came on. He looked up. "… Let's just get this over with already."

"We also have one of two self-proclaimed "Last Quincy"; Uryū Ishida!" Chash announced.

Uryū Ishida turned to Ichigo as his light turned on, "We'll see who is the craziest scientist and then go back home." A thin smile came across his face. "After all, who is to be a better judge than someone who has seen these scientists at work?"

"Hm… I should've eliminated you when I had the chance." Mayuri said thoughtfully. He frowned. "After all, there should be no survivors from my experiments…"

Uryū glared, "I will have my vengeance, Shinigami! Just you wait."

"And finally… we have the Lieutenant of the 10th Division of Soul Society, Yachiru Kusajishi!" Chash announced with a dramatic little wave as the spotlight shone down on the little girl.

"Hi! I'm here cause Kenny couldn't come to play! And…" She held up an enormous cookie. "Slick gave me a cookie!" She took a huge bite. "It's so good!"

"Alright!" Chash called out—drawing everyone's attention to him—as he turned around to face the three scientists. "Now, here is your question: if you were to build a doomsday device, what would it be?"

Technus was the first to speak, "My doomsday device would involve creating a line of super powerful, sleek robots in which would eliminate the Humans! They would control all other machines and then terminate all of those un-hip humans"

"Hm. A doomsday device?" Mayuri said, tapping his forehead with a finger. "But… I have so many… I guess I would simply poison the food supplies of every nation with a modified Superhuman drug. All those that would eat the contaminated food would become a Zombie or fall under the effects of my Superhuman drug."

Szayel thought about it for a moment, "I would invent a machine that simulates a black hole before using it on the earth. That way I could get millions of new souls to study upon."

"… Wha…?" Understandably freaked out, Chash backed a little bit away from the three scientists. He cleared his throat a couple of times. "Well… judges? What are your opinions on the contestants' doomsday devices?" Ichigo jumped onto the judges' table—Zangestu unsheathed—before he pointed it at the three scientists, "You three will stay the hell away from my sisters! If you don't, I'll use Zangestu here to personally destroy each and every one of you sickos!"

"You are all monsters." Uryū said as he manifested his Quincy Bow, joining Ichigo. "And, as a Quincy, I have a responsibility to kill monsters such as you."

Yachiru actually cheered, "Yay~! Zombies" Jumping out of her seat, she began to run around. "I gotta tell Kenny! Kenny likes to fight Zombies!"

"We'll you heard them folks!" Chash announced to the audience as the judges got ready to slay the contestants. "Review and vote on my newest poll to tell us who you think is craziest scientist!"

"Take this, Shinigami!" Uryū shouted as he began firing barrage after barrage of spirit-arrows at Mayuri, who quickly vanished with Shunpo. Frowning, Uryū followed. "You're not getting away this time!"

Chash bowed to the audience. "Thank you and goodnight."

* * *

><p><strong>AN; Author's Note:** Whelp. That's it for Chapter 15. Tell me what could be better along with what you guys think of it. Also, me and my delightful Co-Author/Beta Sharkteeth will be taking a brief Hiatus as we update A.I.A. and P.E.C. This revision is to make sentences flow better amongst other things.

Also, I'm sorry that it's taken so long for this chapter to come out. I have had to prepare for the stately BioExpo that I am competing in. Wish me luck you guys, cause I'll need it when I'm presenting my project!


	16. Chapter 16:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

'_Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p><em>While Danny and his friends were battling the Ghosts of Amity, the rest of the Spiritual World did not stand idle. Already events were occurring that would alter the wheels of fate forever.<em>

* * *

><p>Chapter 16: Interlude<p>

* * *

><p>Inside the main building of Las Noches was a room that everyone knew about but few were allowed to enter. This was because that this place was the fabled meeting hall where the Espada gathered when their leader summoned them. If you were allowed inside the room then you could see that it was enormous. The walls and ceiling seemed to stretch towards the sky and were a dark blue color while the floor was composed out of numerous dark-purple tiles. In the middle of the room was a lengthy, silver table at the foot of a large throne, this was where the Espada sat when their lord Aizen called upon them.<p>

Currently sitting within the high-backed, dark-blue chairs around this table were the current generation of the Espada, bar the Tercera Espada since she was on a mission. Their leader, Sōsuke Aizen sat upon his throne as he watched everyone within the room. What surprised the Espada was the fact that all of the Privaron Espada were also in attendance, something that had never happened before.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen…" Aizen greeted with a small incline of his head. "Before I call this meeting to order, I would like us all to drink some tea."

Aside from Aizen, everyone in the room grimaced; including the two Shinigami traitors besides him. They had all tasted Aizen's so-called 'tea' numerous times in their careers and it wasn't a drink that they wanted to have again. In fact, the Privaron Espada had thought that they would never have to taste it again which was the only bonus that was given to them when they were demoted. At this point most of the inhabitants in the room began to envy the missing Tereca, since she wasn't there to suffer along with them and drink Aizen's tea.

On the other hand if they didn't drink the 'tea' they would offend Dios Aizen, and that was something that they didn't need. So, they swallowed their distaste and disgust of the drink before them and choked down the nasty concoction.

Finished with his own tea, Aizen placed his cup down on the table. "Now, wasn't that nice?" He waited until each of his pawns had murmured their agreement before he frowned, getting into his serious mode. "The reason that I have called you all here is because I have realized that, while you are all are of better quality than the standard Shinigami, I have not organized you to maximize your strength."

This admission caused the most of the Arrancar in the room to look at each other with shock or speak out their confusion. Having helped bring them to this level of power, Dios Aizen should've known that such an admission was a sign of weakness on his part. In fact, if they didn't know that he could probably wipe the floor with them, that admission could have led some of them to try and end his life. Luckily, they knew better than to do that.

"Now, now, everyone... calm down." Aizen said after a moment of listening to his underlings chatter. In an instant, everyone straightened in their seats and shut up, not wanting to inflict Aizen's wrath upon themselves. "To overcome this blatant oversight on my part, I have begun to create 'branches' of our army. These branches include a Science Division, a Medical Division, an Exploration Team, and an Infiltration Squad."

It was at that point that the two figures standing behind Aizen's throne-like chair took a step forward, becoming visible to the occupants of the room as their forms came into the light.

The first figure had his eyes narrowed into slits, pale skin, and chin-length silver hair. He was wearing a long white robe over his normal Shinigami hakama along with black tabi with white waraji. The hilt of his Zanpakutō was visible sticking out from under the robe through the opening down to his waist. He was Gin Ichimaru, the traitorous Taichō of the Gotei 13's 3rd Division.

The second was a man with dark skin and had his hair done up in dark-brown braids. He was wearing a white, sleeveless coat over black hakama, white boots, longer gloves, a band-like visor over his sightless eyes, and an orange rope coming from his right shoulder running across his chest to under his left arm. With this outfit, he carries his Zanpakutō in a loose grip in his white gloved hand. This man was Kaname Tōsen, the traitorous Taichō of the Gotei 13's 9th Division.

Tōsen turned his blind gaze towards Szayel Aporro Grantz, the Octava Espada and leader of the Science Branch. "Szayel while you have already have a functional science division, Aizen-sama has decided to expand it so that you will have a lesser amount of work to do and can focus on the things that he needs you to create." Then, seeing Szayel about to interrupt, he continued on. "Do not worry, those helping you will not be inadequate as Aizen-sama has personally trained both of them."

"While I am grateful that Dios Aizen wants to help my division, I believe I can oversee it on my own." Szayel remarked in a semi-polite tone which was marred by the angry frown on his face.

"Szayel..." Szayel froze as the full force of Aizen's Reiatsu came to rest upon him, the sheer pressure of it all making him gasp before he began to choke. Aizen watched his pawn squirm for a bit before he lifted his Reiatsu, allowing him to take in deep lungful's of air. "Let that be a warning to you, Szayel. _You_ do not question _my_ orders. You have no say in who I put into your division."

With that Aizen made a small gesture to the entrance of the room as the doors to the meeting hall slid open and two new Arrancar walked in.

The first of the Arrancar was a middle-aged man that had silvery-brown hair, a brown mustache, black eyes, and cream-colored skin. He was wearing lab-coat over the standard Arrancar outfit as well as a pair of black boots. His mask fragment took the form of a white monocle that was placed over his right eye while his Zanpakutō took the form of a fountain pen that was tucked into the pocket protector of his coat.

The second Arrancar was a teenaged boy with medium length curly red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. His outfit consisted of an ankle-length buttoned up lab-coat, black boots, and purple gloves. His mask fragment took the form of white glasses with thin gray lenses in between them. His Zanpakutō took the form of a large silver wrench that was strapped to the side of his pants.

Tōsen nodded his head in greeting to the two Arrancar, "These will be your fellow co-leaders of your science division Szayel. They are Genio—" The mustached Arrancar inclined his own head. "—and Dexter." The red-haired Arrancar frowned.

"I don't..." Szayel slowly said as he glared at the two Arrancar from underneath his pink bangs. "Need help managing my division. As a perfect individual, I don't need it. I can manage my own division by myself!"

Dexter tilted his head to the side at Szayel's declaration, "You are a 'perfect being'? That's quite an assumption you have there..." The lenses of his glasses glinted as he lowered his head. "I mean, assuming that you are perfect makes you imperfect since perfection leads to stagnation. This will be detrimental to your division as stagnation leads to no new scientific discoveries." He 'hmmed' in thought. "Maybe you're not a scientist after all..."

"Now, now—" Genio began in a thick German accent, trying to defuse the situation.

"How dare you, you little **!" Szayel roared, jumping up from his seat with murder in his eyes. "How dare you accuse me of not being a scientist!?I have discovered and invented more in my short time as an Arrancar then you will your entire life!"

"I have serious doubts about that for I am Dexter, boy genius, and my intellect is far beyond your own." Dexter said as he folded his arms in front of his chest, his tone was a bit smug.

"I'll kill you!" Szayel, who was well beyond his breaking point, shouted before he drew his Zanpakutō and vanished within a burst of Sonido. He then appeared directly above Dexter with his Zanpakutō poised to strike. "I'll kill you, you little **!"

Dexter's eyes widened in slight alarm as the sword descended towards him. Dexter now began to realize that he may have taken things way too far with Szayel. However before Szayel could decapitate him, Szayel's sword was blocked by another. Tōsen's robes slowly fluttered from the sudden movement as the man was radiating no small amount of disappointment and distaste for the Arrancar in front of him.

"That is enough, Szayel." Tōsen warned with an angry frown. "As Aizen-sama said, you have no say in this matter. Genio and Dexter will become your equals in the science division and you will get along with them. You shall do nothing to hurt them or experiment on them. If you do, then I'll personally see to your punishment myself."

Szayel scowled before he reluctantly walked back over to his chair. Tōsen then dismissed Genio and Dexter, telling them that an Arrancar outside of the room would lead them to the labs of the science division.

"Well!" Gin clapped his hands together, turning his head to view those still in the room with his fox-like grin. "I guess that I should tell ya all 'bout the Exploration Squad, hm?" Suddenly, he spun around before he pointed at one of the Espada. "You'll be leading 'em, Aaroniero Arruruerie!"

Aaroniero Arruruerie was a tall Arrancar that was wearing a dress garb that covered his entire body as opposed to the normal jacket and hakama that most other Arrancar wore. He was also wearing a frilly, white nobles' coat that acted as his replacement jacket with a single white gentleman's glove. The odd thing about him was the fact that his face was covered with an elongated white mask that had eight holes on it.

"Hm. An 'Exploration Team'?" Aaroniero asked in slight interest.

Aizen nodded his head, "Yes. You will be leading a team to further explore Huceo Mundo, since we only know a small fraction of its geography. Not only will you map it, you will also bring back Hollows that catch your interest or that you believe can further help our army." He leaned his chin onto his interlaced fingers. "Is that acceptable?"

"Of course, Dios Aizen."

"Very well, Aaroniero. I will leave to you your choice of recruits for this division but... I would also recommend that you allow Cirucci Sanderwicci to join your division, as she would be able to provide aerial support."

Cirucci perked up at the mention of her name._ 'I can't believe that Dios Aizen personally recommended me for one of these new branches, especially one that could very well turn into one of the most important ones..._' Turning in her chair, she gave Aaroniero a small nod. "If you'll have me, I'll give you my very best.

"Your skills would be very appreciated, Cirucci." Aaroniero responded to the Privaron Espada.

"Good. Now, onto the next branch that I am assembling; the medical corps. As the reason why we need medics is so blatantly obvious, I won't bore you with the details..." Aizen paused for a moment. "The leader of this division will be Victor." One of the Privaron Espada was startled in his seat. "—He shall be in charge of recruiting Arrancar to the Medic Corps, as well as training them into sufficient medics."

"Why do we even need a Medic Corps anyway?" An Arrancar with short and messy, sky-blue hair and eyes questioned with a challenging smirk. "I mean, our Hierro prevents most attacks from even touching us!" He paused before glaring at one of the other Arrancar in the room. "And we can regenerate the wounds that we do receive."

"Didn't I just say that it was 'blatantly obvious', Grimmjow?" Aizen asked with an annoyed glare. "You fail to understand that there are people that can cut through your Hierro and damage your bodies. Even with your regeneration, it won't matter if your internal organs were damaged or destroyed." He tilted his chin, "Would you care for me to demonstrate, Grimmjow?"

With his eyes widened with fear Grimmjow fell back into his seat with an almost unnoticeable shake of his head. This seemed to appease Aizen, if only for now, who then turned towards Victor and asked him if he felt up to the task of leading the Medic Corps.

Victor was an Arrancar with slicked-back black hair with three strands hanging over his right eye. Like most lower-ranked Arrancar, he was wearing the standard Arrancar uniform but he had modified it into a surgeon's uniform. The only other thing of note about him was the numerous stiches all over his body and the two, bolt-like mask fragments on his neck. His Zanpakutō took the form of a small scalpel, which glinted in the dim light as he fiddled with it.

Victor bowed to Aizen in gratitude. "Thank you Dios Aizen. I shall not disappoint you."

"I'm sure that you won't because, if you do, I will be most displeased with you, Victor..." Aizen replied with a minor dose of his Reiatsu to get his point across; if Victor disappointed him, he death was assured. "Gin?"

"Oh, is it my turn 'gain? Well, here goes nothin'..." Gin muttered to himself. "The next team will be a special 'ivison of the Medic Corps... ta Poison Squad... When Aizen-sama attacks the Gotei, tis squad will go and poison several sectors of the Rukongai, so as ta distract the Shinigami... They'll also useful in dealing wit counteractin' and developin' new poisons." He grinned. "Ta leader of this division will be little Loly Aivirrne-chan."

At the sound of her name, Loly Aivirrne looked up from her place next to Dios Aizen, eyes widening before she blushed. _'Yes, yes, yes! Gin must've told Dios Aizen about the time when he stumbled on me practicing with my Resurrección!'_ She sighed internally, picturing Aizen looking at her with a warm smile. _'I'll make you proud and then—'_ She closed her eyes and squealed a fangirl squeal.

"And the final branch that Aizen-sama is creating will be the Infiltration Squad. This squad will have two goals; to thoroughly infiltrate the Rukongai so to allow the Poison Squad entry points into it and to infiltrate the Human World. Like it or not, we will have to be using stolen Human supplies until we can manage to produce them on our own." Tōsen said solemnly. "The leader of this division will be Anguila Cielo."

From within the shadows a form materialized, revealing it to be a female Arrancar, this was Angulia Cielo. Anguila Cielo was an Arrancar with dark skin, short dark-brown hair, and orange-colored eyes. She was wearing the standard outfit that all Arrancar wore, though the sleeves of her jacket appeared to have been ripped off. Like the absent Tercera Espada, Anguila's mask fragment took form as a mask over the lower half of her face, though it also covered the bottom of her ears. Her Zanpakutō took form as a long dueling sword that was strapped to the right side of her hip.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Dios Aizen." Anguila said softly in a low monotone voice.

"You're welcome, Anguila." Aizen responded before he began to stand from his chair. "You will find packets regarding what I expect from each division in each of your chambers..." Pausing, he addressed everyone in the room one last time. "I expect each division up, running, and preforming to my expectations within a three month period." Gin and Tōsen fell in behind him as he began to walk towards the exit.

"You're all dismissed."

XXXXXX

(Las Noches—Science Labs—Szayel's Lab)

"How _dare_ that little _brat?_" Szayel howled as he threw one of the numerous beakers around him towards the wall. When the beaker hit, it shattered before its contents exploded in a green flame. "Saying that he was more intelligent than me!" He slammed his fists on down on the counter, creating dents in the metal.

For the next five minutes, Szayel vented his frustration and rage by destroying everything around him. When he was done, hundreds of glass shards lay scattered over the floor, mixing with the numerous multi-colored liquids that were once within them.

Now more calm, rational thought began returning to the pink-haired Espada. "... I'll prove to that little ** that I am the better scientist. Then after I've made him admit it..." His eyes flashed. "I'll kill him."

"Lumina! Verona!" Szayel called out to his Fracción.

At his call, two short and obese Arrancar emerged from the shadows. He pointed towards the mess on the floor and told them to clean it up before he turned his back on them. He knew that Lumina and Verona had enough competency to at least clean up but, even if they reacted negatively with the chemicals on the floor, he could always make more of them.

Right now though, he needed to start working on something that would show that inferior 'scientist' how wrong he was.

XXXXXX

(Seireitei—The Shinigami Research and Development Institute)

Within his own personal lab, one could find Mayuri Kurotsuchi standing before a computer screen with a slight frown on his face. On the screen were a number of small boxes, each of them holding the verbal reports that Murasaki had sent over his Denreishinki.

Over the past two weeks, he had begun to grow suspicious of these reports. And today he had discovered that while the reports were indeed spoken by Murasaki, they seemed to be on a loop. The center 'themes' of this loop seemed to be 'low Hollow activity' or 'no sign of the Hollow'.

_'Which is a blatant lie of course. Did whoever must be controlling Murasaki think that I wasn't going to continue monitoring Amity Park?' _Shaking his head, he snorted. _'The fools! Why would I not monitor the city? It's a good thing that I have done so, or else I wouldn't have noticed the continuing amounts of Reiatsu that escape from the town.'_

What was special about the readings that Mayuri had discovered is that, at times, they fluctuated. Sometimes his division's Reiatsu and Reiryoku-detecting equipment detected nothing abnormal while at other times his equipment detected a noticeable amount of Hollow and non-Hollow Reiatsu. Further study and comparison of these samples showed that the town's level of Reiryoku never wavered, meaning that there was one Hollow living in a town that was rich in foreign Reiryoku.

This could only mean that there actually was a Hollow in Amity Park and was somehow controlling Murasaki to send in false reports. Further study of the non-Hollow Reiatsu that his equipment had detected led him to an amazing discovery; it didn't match a Hollow, Shinigami, Quincy, or a Human. It was _different_. Unique even.

"Hehehehhehehehehehehe... I can't wait until I can send Nemu out there to get some samples..." Mayuri snickered with an enormous grin on his face. "It'll be fun to discover all about the non-Hollow thing that's in Amity Park..." A thought hit him then which caused him to frown. " I can't let him know or else he'll try and stop me. Hmph. He's better off knowing without anyways..."

But that thought also brought into the question of how he would be able to get to Amity Park without anybody noticing. It would be extremely odd and suspicious if one of the Taichō or fukutaichō of the Gotei 13 left for a small uninteresting town and he couldn't risk them finding out what he was doing.

_'What to do. What to do…Aha! I know. While I and Nemu wouldn't be able to go, there is another way that I can get the data that I need.'_

Recently, he had developed a non-painful and invasive germs that, when placed in living tissue, would continuously send him information regarding the tissue. Among this information was data about the specimen's temperature, overall health, its 'mood', and basic information on what the specimen was doing at the time. If he could put these germs into a small robot or even a nanobot, then he would be to find and then 'infect' the Hollow and non-Hollows of Amity Park.

And, once he did that, he would be able to learn everything about them. "Hehehehehehheheehehhe." He chuckled as he began pressing a series of buttons on his computer. "... Enjoy the peace that you have had so far my newest experiment, because it won't last long..."

XXXXXX

(Illinois—Amity Park—Sensei's Dōjō)

Near the Amity Park mall, just past one of the more high traffic areas of the town, was a fairly unnoticeable building that housed a very important individual. This bullring was Sensei's Dōjō and belonged to the local karate master of Amity Park, Sensei.

The building itself was two stories in height and painted a rich brown with the words 'Sensei's Dōjō' five feet above the glass doorways. The inside of the dōjō had tan walls and floors, with the floors having dark-brown walkways separating the room into two neat halves for the students. In the front of the room was a slightly raised platform in which Sensei usually stood.

Currently on the floor of the dojo were about thirty students of multiple ages dressed in white Karate Gi's and belts of varying colors. Their eyes were locked on Sensei as he led them through their session, each of them copying what he did to the best of their abilities.

Sensei himself was a somewhat short man with salt-and-pepper colored hair. He had two different colored eyes but this was not due to genetics; his left eye was a dark brown color while his right was milky white with a long, thin scar over it. He was wearing a white Karate Gi with a black belt wrapped around his waist and thin sandals on his feet. Most of his attention was on the student's in front of him as he closely watched them cycle through their kata's but a small portion of his mind was contemplate on one of his missing student's, Danny Fenton.

At the moment, Sensei was just wrapping up his last session of the day so with some final words of wisdom Sensei dismissed his students and started walking into the back of the building. As he walked into the back room of his dojo, he contemplated the mystery of his missing student. While he knew that Danny had a pretty hectic schedule, even more so than the average teenager, he also knew that Danny had never missed practice before today. And, considering all the recent spiritual activity in the area, that said a lot to the gravity of the situation at hand.

"I'd thought that would never end..." A voice seemed to say from out of nowhere.

At the sound of the voice, Sensei whirled around only to see a miniature vortex of sand had appeared in the middle of his office. The sand collapsed in on itself and began to assume into a figure that Sensei knew all-too well; the Ghost known as Cinq.

Sensei inclined his head to the ghost, "What do I owe the pleasure of your appearance… my friend?"

"The nature of your missing student; Danny Fenton. I'd thought that you'd like to know where he is..." Cinq trailed off at the end, putting a finger to the edge of his mask. "That is... if you want to know what happened to him..."

"Where is my student Cinq?" Sensei asked, his tone as cold as ice.

"Technus has left the Ghost Zone and has captured him. From what I've gathered, he's planning to use Danny to empower one of his machines." Cinq said informatively to the old man.

Sensei's eyes narrowed in anger at what he was told, "I'm going to go save my student Cinq?"

"No. You need not worry about Danny Fenton Sensei. Right now his two Human friends along with a Ghost that he's recently befriended are storming Technus' temporary Headquarters." He paused for a moment as if in thought. "And they're about to awaken their true potential and powers."

"... They have powers?" Sensei asked.

Cinq looked at him for a moment, "Of course they do, Sensei. Not in the same group as the ones that you developed. But then again, your parents never encountered a Hollow. Let alone survived an attack made by a Hollow when your mother was pregnant."

Sensei didn't say anything right away. Instead, he turned around and stared at the outfit that was hanging on a mannequin that was standing behind his desk. The outfit itself consisted of a series of brown, kimono-like robes over one another, a wide-brimmed straw hat, white obi, white tabi socks, and geta. All in all, it was just a traditional monk's outfit but to Sensei it represented a whole life that he chose to live.

"I never wanted to put any of my students in danger..." He turned to Cinq before his eyes narrowed. "If Danny and his friends get hurt or... _worse_... and I could have prevented it, I will have _your head_."

Cinq didn't verbally respond to Sensei's anger but by the minor fluctuation of his ectoplasm indicated that he understood what he was saying. He merely inclined his head towards Sensei, acknowledging his words, before his body began to dissipate into countless sand particles. Soon the sand itself vanished into thin air, leaving Sensei alone in his office.

XXXXXX

(Southeastern Wyoming—Amtrak Train Station)

Sitting in the Amtrak station on the very edge of Wyoming were three very familiar Arrancar who were waiting for their Dama Harribel. Tier was purchasing the tickets for their next train ride as the three Fracción watched over their luggage. The area that they were currently sitting was fairly quiet and out of the ways of the normal traffic of the station. This was fine with the three of them since none of them wanted to have to deal with the Humans at this point.

The reason for their increased agitation, even more so than normal, was because each one of them knew that their mission was taking too long. While they knew that it was necessary to remain in their Gigai so that the Soul Society wouldn't be able to detect them, it made the mission that much harder to complete. It didn't help that the Arrancar they had been sent out to find seemed to be countless states away from where they had first appeared in the Human World, leaving them to use Human transportation to track him/her down as to not attract the attention of the local Shinigami.

"If I have to spend one more night hunting for that god-damned Arrancar..." Apacci growled as she laid sprawled out on the bench.

Sung-Sun raised a delicate eyebrow at Apacci, "You'll do what, exactly? You know that Dios Aizen wants this Arrancar and, if we don't return with it, he'll be most _displeased _with us..." Both Mila Rose and Apacci shivered at the thought of displeasing Aizen. "While Dama Harribel might escape with a light punishment, what do you think will happen to us?"

Even though they knew the answer to Sung-Sun's question, neither Mila Rose or Apacci responded. If they failed this mission, Dama Harribel could get demoted or even be made into a Privaron Espada. They on the other hand, weren't that powerful individually and were therefore _expendable_ to Dios Aizen. He could decide to end their lives at any moment and he would if they gave him enough reason to.

"Come on you three." Tia's voice snapped all of them out of their morbid thoughts. Looking up, they saw Tia standing in front of them, bag slung over her shoulder, with four tickets in her hand. "I have the tickets; let's go."

"Of course, Dama Harribel." All three of the Fracción replied.

Tia frowned at the response of her Fracción, "I thought I told you three not to call me that on this mission. In the Human World, especially here, for you to address me with such honor when I only appear a few years older than you."

"We understand... Da- Tier—"

"No, for the course of this mission, I would prefer if you didn't address me as 'Tier'..." Dama Harribel interrupted. "I would prefer if you addressed me as Tia from now on." Looking at them, her usually ice-cold gaze softened. "You three have stood at my side for numerous decades and have helped me out on numerous occasions. You can call me Tia because I consider you all my trusted comrades."

Apacci, Sung-Sun, and Mila Rose were gob smacked. While they had always known that their Dama had cared for and protected them, they hadn't known that she considered them her trusted comrades, their Dama's way of saying friend. To hear that from her moved them greatly, bringing them to the verge of tears.

However, before any of them could speak out, a nearby device began blaring. Apacci, Sung-Sun, and Mila Rose's eyes widened at the familiar sound while Tia quickly retrieved it from her pocket and silenced it. She then flipped it open as a picture of the US appeared on the screen. The screen then zoomed inwards before a red circle appeared around the middle and upper regions of Illinois. "Our target is releasing enough Reiatsu that his coordinates have just become clear."

Apacci jumped up from her seat, punching her fist. "Yes!"

"So, we can finally complete this mission?" Sung-Sun asked Tia.

"I suppose we could... if we could use Sonido." Tia said with a small frown. "It seems that our target is in the state of Illinois." The joyous faces of her three Fracción faded at this realization, and for good reason. "At our current speed, it would take days for us to reach our target."

Apacci was stunned, "But... We can't let him get away from us! Not now! The signal has _never_ been this strong before!"

"I'm afraid that we have no choice but to Apacci..." Tia said, frowning. "Like I said, we would have to use Sonido to get there... something we cannot use without risk of the Soul Society detecting us." She looked away from Apacci, "And even with Sonido there is no guarantee that we will reach the target before it decides to move again."

"But... This is the first time the signal has been so clear! What if the target is in trouble?" Apacci asked in desperation. "All this time, the target has been safe and we couldn't get a good read on it... but now its releasing so much energy that we _have_ gotten a reading on it!"

Tia's frown grew, "It has occurred to me that may be the case but we cannot simply reveal our presence based on something that is true or not. If we did, Soul Society would detect us and come down on us full-force."

"... Tia..." Sung-Sun said, obviously uncomfortable with addressing her superior so, so _informally_. "What if we could use Sonido without the Soul Society detecting us... Anakonda has recently taught me... a _variation_ of Muda that I could cloak us with..."

Hearing this, both Mila Rose and Apacci became a bit skeptical. 'Muda' was a technique that Sung-Sun could use after shedding her skin which would then cover her and those around her within a dome. Because of the barrier of sensory-blocking Reiatsu and optic camouflage her skin provided, those within the dome would concealed and invisible. However, because of this, Muda was known as a _stationary_ technique.

So, what could Sung-Sun's Anakonda have taught her to make it useable in this situation? "It is called Camuflaje Óptico." Sung-Sun began to explain, looking down. "It would allow me to cloak us in a barrier that would prevent Soul Society from detecting us... though, to do this, we won't be camouflaged as if I used Muda."

"That's stupid then! What use is that if we could be seen?" Apacci spat out.

"I wasn't finished." Sung-Sun retorted with a brief glare before she looked towards Dama Harribel. "If we used Sonido or even Chōkasoku, then our movements will be blurred enough so that no one will be able to see us, let alone identify us."

There was a brief pause, "Why have you never mentioned this ability before, Sung-Sun?"

"Like I said, I've only recently learned it from Anakonda..." Sung-Sun said before she sighed. "Also, there is one more draw back; I can only use Camuflaje Óptico for a time based at the speed I'm travelling at. Meaning that, the faster I go, the less time I'll be able to use it."

"I see..." Tia muttered, eyebrows scrunched together as she thought on what to do. "... Pick up your bags and follow me..." As her three obeyed, she spared Sung-Sun a look. "We'll be using Chōkasoku so we'll be able to extend the duration of time in which you can use your Camuflaje Óptico."

The three Fracción cheered—well, Mila Rose and Apacci cheered—at this. Tia had agreed to use Sung-Sun's new technique to get to the Arrancar! Their mission would soon be complete.

XXXXXX

(Unknown Location)

In a darkened room, a single robed figure could be seen sitting upon a throne though it appeared to be asleep if the deep steady breathing was any indication. Grumbling to itself, the figure shifted around before it eyes snapped open revealing a pair of silver eyes. The figure seemed to stare off into space for a second before a cruel smirk spread across its face. With a snap of its fingers an orb of white fire was created within its palm which the figure then stared into deeply.

"So, everything is starting to come together, is it? It seems the wheels of fate are finally in motion..." The figure mused aloud to itself.

With another snap of its fingers the orb of flame flew from its grasp and expanded to become a roaring inferno of white flame. After a bit the fires died down and revealed an ornate chess set. On this set were numerous chess pieces of varying color, though all were made out of fire. The figure then watched as one of the pieces on its side moved forward with an amused expression on its face.

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Muda (Molting): A technique in which Cyan Sung-Sun sheds her skin, which then proceeds to envelop a dome-shaped area around her, rendering the space invisible and concealing those within. It works through a combination of optic camouflage and a barrier of Reiatsu that blocks sensory abilities.

2. Camuflaje Óptico (Optical Camouflage): A moving variation of Sung-Sun's Muda. The name of this technique is ironic sense it sacrifices Muda's optical camouflage in exchange for keeping the sensory-blocking Reiatsu barrier while moving. The duration in which this technique can be used depends on the speed that Sung-Sun is travelling at.


	17. Chapter 17:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking.'_

"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter 17:<p>

* * *

><p>(Unknown Location—With Danny)<p>

Danny was running as fast as his legs could take him. When he had woke up, Danny had found himself in an endless sea of fog while the ground beneath him was nothing but white sand. He didn't know why but a deep terror was running through him, making him run through the thick, gray fog as fast as his legs would allow him to. Danny was in his Arrancar form for some reason but his powers were cut off from him making him as weak as normal human. He didn't know what he was running from exactly but he did know that, whatever it was, it terrified the hell out of him so he ran onwards.

"_Danny"_

Danny's eyes widened at the unfamiliar voice, his heart clenched from the terror that voice seemed too inspired in him. In a moment of unbridled desperation, he lost his footing and slipped on the white sand beneath his feet, displacing a fair amount of it as he fell into the sand. Danny quickly scrambled to his feet, not wanting whatever was behind him to catch up, and began running again.

_"Danny..."_

Danny clenched his eyes shut—desperately trying to tune out the voice—though to no avail. No matter what he tried, he could still hear the voice at the same volume no matter how fast he ran away. Why couldn't he block the voice out? Why was the voice chasing him to begin with?

He tried to continue running forward but a sudden, massive gust of wind threatened to knock him over from where he stood. The gust caused a great deal of sand to fly into his face and forced him to shield it with his arms. When he felt the sand settle and he was able to open his eyes again, Danny looked upwards to see that the fog had vanished from the area around him.

"Danny." The voice said, but it was no longer an echo; it was right in front of him. Looking up into the sky Danny felt his breath hitch at what inhabited the black sky.

It was the beast that haunted his thoughts and his nightmares, the black dragon. It hovered in the air in front of him, flapping its massive reptilian bat-like wings to keep itself aloft. It looked down at him with its shining eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul. The sight of the great beast made Danny freeze in terror and it only got worse when the beast opened its maw and began to speak.

"Danny."

Then everything went white.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Axion Labs)

When Danny opened his eyes he saw that he was still within the pod that Technus had trapped him in, which was hanging from the ceiling in a vertical position. He then remembered the dream that he just had. No, it wasn't a dream, the memory of it was too clear for it to be a dream. The vision of that black dragon came back to him and while it only fueled the fires of his fear a seed of doubt began to form in his mind.

_'Why was it calling my name?'_ Danny wondered to himself.

Before Danny could think more about the black dragon, his captor slid into view of his pod and noticed him. "Oh, you're awake?" He looked a bit irritated for a moment before his expression was replaced with a look of intrigue. "It seems that the dosage of Knockout Gas I gave you, while effective against Humans and Ghosts, isn't as effective on Arrancar. Interesting..."

"It won't be so... interesting... when I get out of here..." Danny threatened as he struggled against his bonds.

"That's fine; I don't intend on letting you out of there. Well not alive, at least." Technus stated as he floated over to a nearby control panel and pressed a button. A low rumbling sound filled the room as Technus floated behind Danny's pod. While Danny couldn't see what Technus was doing, since the pod he was in was facing the opposite direction, he could hear the low growling of some kind of animal.

"Don't worry... You'll be better soon." Danny heard Technus mumble to what ever was growling.

Curious in spite of himself, Danny tried to stretch his neck so he could see over the sides of his pod. By stretching his neck and upper body as far as they could go Danny could just make out the form of Technus standing in front of a glass container of some kind. While he couldn't see what was in it Danny could hear it as it release a loud empty sound roar. Danny broke out in a cold sweat at the sound of that roar for it was the roar that he released in his nightmares. Danny struggled against his bonds even more but before he could get the chance to do it, the wires tightened around his body, forcing him back into a straight up and down position.

_'Oh—!'_Danny managed to think as his head slammed against the back of the pod before the wires wrapped around him began pumping an incredibly high dosage of electricity into his body. He couldn't even scream in pain as the electricity locked the muscles in his jaw in place. His body spasamed in pain as the electricity made him feel like every cell on his body was on fire. The scent of burning flesh wafted up into his nostrils letting Danny know that the electricity was starting to burn his skin.

_'Oh, god it hurts so much.'_ Danny thought as he tried to block out the pain

Technus floated back into view as he pushed a button on the console that he was working on earlier, the electricity was cut off, making Danny sigh in relief. Danny was then slammed against the side of the pod as it spun around at a high speed, crying out as his head impacted against the side of the pod. Once the stars in Danny's vision dissipated he could see an enormous and complicated-looking machine that had a long cable that was hooked up to his pod. But it was what was hooked up to the machine that caught his attention though.

Suspended in blood-red liquid on either side of the machine were a pair of creatures that were trapped in clear containers which were hooked up on either side of the machine. The creature in the tube that was connected to the machine's right side made another growling sound which Danny instantly recognized as the same one that he heard earlier.

The creature resembled the snow leopard that he had seen at Amity's Zoo. It was seven feet long from its masked face to the tip of its tail and it was covered in grey fur with a white underbelly. It's mask had a toothy grin that reminded Danny of the Cheshire cat but instead of the playful sarcastic smirk depicted in the story book this one was infinity more sinister looking. At the edges of the mask and running all over its body were a number of grayish-blue spots and on its paws were a set of viscous-looking claws.

The second creature greatly resembled the first, though it was smaller than the larger one. In fact, as Danny looked at it with more attention, he could see that it shared many features of the larger one. It too looked like a snow leopard but instead of the fully grown version this one looked like a kitten. The small one shared an almost identical mask and body with the larger one but this one had a small set of fangs in its grin and a different pattern in its spots.

"I allowed you the opportunity to look at what you're going to be used for, so be thankful." Technus sneered, now floating directly before Danny's pod as another surge of electricity forced Danny to scream. Technus then floated to the large machines counsel and began to use it, "You are the key component that my machine needs to reverse the Hollowification that my beloved wife and daughter have undergone." His glasses glinted as he leaned forward, "Unfortunately the process will surely kill you."

_'Hollow?'_ Danny's muddled mind latched onto the familiar word and connected it with the creatures that he had seen in the containment tubes. _'Those things are... Hollows?'_

"By your confused expression, is it possible to assume that you've never seen a Hollow before?" Technus asked with a raised eyebrow. He spoke again before Danny could respond, "... That means you either skipped the traditional evolutionary phase that Hollows can go through or you simply forgot your time as a Hollow before you decided to rip your mask off. Hmm, if the latter is true I wonder how many human souls you've devoured to make you want to forget."

"Human... what?" Danny managed to choke out. The very idea was horrifying to him. What was Technus implying? That Hollows ate Humans souls? He couldn't even imagine what it would be like, and didn't want to. The very idea almost made him throw up, but he choked it down.

Technus' eyebrows rose again, "So you haven't seen another Hollow and you show revulsion about the very idea of eating a Human Soul... Very interesting... I'll have to do an in-depth analysis of your body once the procedure is complete..."

Technus the floated to the tube containing the smaller Hollow and gently place his hand against the glass.

"The two Hollows that you see before you were once my wife, Аnyа, and my daughter, Marianna..." Technus murmured as he stared at the young kitten Hollow, his voice soft from the memories of his family. "I was a hip scientist studying the paranormal world, or more in particular, the Spiritual World..."

_'... He was like my parents...'_ Danny thought as he listened to Technus' story.

Technus then clenched his hands as his eyes prickled with unshed tears. "In my zeal, I accidentally summoned a Hollow into my home as I was studying the realms of the afterlife. I managed to destroy it but not before it killed my wife and daughter and devoured their souls." He paused as his eyes lost their gleam and became dull and lifeless. "For years after that I worked tirelessly to try and bring my Anya and Marianna back to me, and eventually I succeeded...just not in the way that I hoped."

_'How could he have done that?' _Danny wondered, in spite of himself. As far as he knew, it was impossible to bring somebody back when they died. The people still existed, but their bodies were dead or gone, with no way to reestablish the former connection the soul had with the body.

"I managed to bring them back... but they were in the form of Hollows. I was so surprised that I didn't even react as they almost killed me..." Technus muttered. "I was a fit man back then, so I managed to get to the machine you see before you and I trapped them into the golden pyramids... and then... I died. And while I passed on, my forgotten memories ended up in the Ghost Zone, where I became a Ghost..." Unseen, he glanced at the pod that Danny was in. "And now that I've finally escaped the Ghost Zone, I can fulfill my promise to turn them back to normal. But first... I have to deal with your friends..."

_'My friends?'_ Danny wondered sluggishly. _'Oh no... Tucker... Sam... They're in trouble!'_

Technus then floated towards another terminal, but this one had a microphone attached to it. "Testing… testing… is this thing on…? Of course it is on… I adapted the technology, after all…" Technus paused and then took a few pieces of paper from his coat and began to read from them. "Attention all mindless peons under my command, I just wanted to take this moment to thank the one person who brought this all together. The one man, whose unsurpassed intellect and hip fashion sense to do the impossible... ME!" Technus then threw out his arms like an orchestra conductor who was receiving a standing applause. "But I know that you peons played a small part in helping me complete my hip plans. So why don't you all give yourselves a round of applause?"

_'He must be talking about those guys that grabbed me..._' Danny thought as he watched Technus give his speech.

"Okay that's enough of that. Now on to the main event!"

With that, Technus pressed a button on the control panel, sending a high dosage of electricity into Danny's body and causing him to scream. The pain was made worse by the fact that his skin and nerves were still recovering from the last shock, amplifying the pain even further. After a few seconds of this, Danny couldn't stand it anymore and fell unconscious. However, even though he was knocked out, his body still thrashed within its restraints, flailing around from the electricity that coursed through his nerves.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Sam, Tucker, and Sidney)

After Danny's screams had been cut off with from the PA system Sam, Tucker, and Sidney walked down one of Axion Lab's numerous hallways with carefully blank expression on their faces. If it had been any other situation—or they had been anyone else—they would be panicking and running around looking for Danny like chickens with their heads cut off. However, now wasn't the time for that.

To help Danny, they needed to find out exactly where he was being kept and get there without raising any suspicion. To do that, they needed to find a storage room like Tucker had suggested. Once they reached the room Sam planned to use her ribbons while Tucker hack into the security mainframe. Through this, they would try to find out where Danny was and how much of those Zombie-fied creeps they'd run into on their way to get to him.

So, with a plan in mind, the trio were walking towards the nearest storage room that Tucker had found on the blueprints. They easily passed through the few guards around by making sure they were walking at the same speed as them and that they answered the guards' questions as slowly as the other guards did. Luckily for them, none of the nearby guards noticed the three when they slipped into the storage room and closed it behind them with an audible click. Once inside, both teenagers gave an all clear sign which caused Sydney to materialize into view.

Tucker glanced at Sam and nodded his head slightly, "Let's get to work."

"Alright." Sam said before she looked at Sidney. "Can you keep guard?" Sidney nodded seconds before Sam closed her eyes and began to concentrate. "Good."

While Tucker began looking for an outlet and Sam focused, Sidney unzipped his fanny pouch before releasing a small torrent of paper. The paper quickly flew through the air and phased through to the outside of the door they had come through. Once there, the paper stuck to the walls and covered the door till none of it was showing. Once the door was fully covered the paper then started to change in color and texture. Eventually where there was once a door to an old storeroom there was now another section of the blue tinted wall that made up the entire facility.

"Cape Papier (Paper Cloak)." Sidney said, whispering the name of his technique as it completed itself.

It was only a couple moments later when Tucker finally found what he was looking for with an 'Aha!' He moved aside a few boxes and dropped to his knees beside the wire box that was attached to the wall and pulled out his new lock-picking kit from one of his pockets. He then pulled out a screw driver and began to unscrew the edges of the box so that he could get to the circuitry beneath it.

As Tucker worked away at the cover of the box, Sam released a breath and focused on her power. Slowly, as to not draw unwanted attention to themselves from whatever sensors Technus had set up, she began to bring 'the ribbons' into view. This caused a gradual filling of the room as hundreds of white, green, black, and gray ribbons appeared.

Tucker spliced a couple of the wires that were in the box and reattached them to his PDA. With a minor application of his Reiatsu, the screen of his PDA came alive, showing numerous streams of green zeros and ones amidst a black background. He grinned at his success and let his friends know, "I'm in."

"Good job Tuck." Sam congratulated with a small grin before she returned her attention to the ribbons, trying to locate Danny's.

Tucker grinned as well before he looked back at the screen and began typing. After a few moments, his grin was replaced with a confused expression.

'_What is this stuff?'_ Tucker wondered as he looked at the files that he had been able to bring up. _'That one is for the security cameras… but what about the other files?'_

Curious as to what could be in the files, Tucker hacked into one of the larger ones only for his eyes to widen as numerous blueprints began to cover the screen. These weren't ordinary blueprints though, they were to complex for any standard machine. Digging deeper, Tucker stumbled upon a picture of the machine that the blueprints made. The machine in question appeared as a 10' by 10' block with a circular satellite dish and control panel on it. It was mainly black in color, but the machine also had numerous green lines that represented the circuitry underneath it.

After a couple of moments, Tucker looked downwards and came up to the information about what this device was supposed to do. His eyes widened. _'Mind… This device's main function is… _Mind-Control?_'_

Hearing Tucker's gasp, Sam and Sidney turned towards him and asked him if he was okay. Seeing him slightly pale and sweaty made them nervous since it couldn't mean anything good.

"What's wrong, Tucker?" Sam asked her friend.

Tucker looked at her for a moment before he returned his attention back to the PDA, "I think I found the reason why all those people we've seen are Zombies—" His gaze became solemn as he raised his PDA so that they could see the machine on the screen. "they're being mind-controlled."

"Mind-Control?" Sidney asked in a confused tone. "You mean like those little green men use to control cats they've taken onto their ships?"

Sam did a double take before she shrugged off Sidney's question and turned back to face Tucker, "I thought that Ghost—Technus—was controlling everybody, not a machine."

"I doubt that the 'Master of Technology' can control so many people at once, so it makes sense that he built this machine do to it for him. These files were added within the last day or so; probably when Technus took over this place." Tucker theorized. He turned away upon Sam's semi-incredulous stare. "Well, it's the only real reason I can think of right now…"

Sam bit her lip at the thought of being trapped within your own body before nodded in head in reluctant acceptance at Tucker's logic.

"As long as Technus has these machines he can control these people for as long as he wants, we'll have to take it out to free them. If we do, then we won't have to deal with all the people who Technus is in control of while we go to rescue Danny."

"… That's true." Sam reluctantly admitted before she sighed, looking away. "It _would_ help if we didn't have to keep avoiding people… and it _would_ give us the advantage once Technus' 'minions' are gone…"

Sidney nodded once as he remembered what he saw on his initial scouting of the facility, "Those zombie-cats are literally flooding the inner labs, if we want to get in there then will need to take the kooky machine out."

"Well it looks like we have our first objective because..." Sam said before she held up a black ribbon—Danny's ribbon—before her. "Danny's ribbon is leading into the heart of this place; the inner labs."

"That's good to know." Tucker said before he looked back at his PDA. "Besides the machine the blueprint that I showed you indicates that there are two other machines that help keep control of the people and they're located in three different areas."

"So we'll have to split up to take the machines down?"

Tucker nodded once before he explained his plan. "If we only focus on one machine, then the guards will know and increase security on the other two. What we need to do is attack all three machines at once, so that the guards will have no time to react."

"That's true but," Sam looked at Sidney for a moment and, seeing how exhausted the Ghost looked, hesitation began to creep into her mind. "Do you think that you could handle one of those machines and the guards by yourself, Sidney? You look pretty tired."

"... I can do it." Sidney said.

"Now that that's settled, I'm going to find out where these machines are." Upon Sam's look of exasperation, Tucker went back to working on his PDA. "Don't look at me like that, Sam. It's not my fault that this file only tells me about the machines and not where they are. But with a little bit more time I should be able to find out where they are."

After a couple of seconds of Tucker trying to hack into the system, Tucker suddenly jerked backwards as his PDA's screen flashed with a bright green light. When the light died down, there was only the green face of a Ghost on it. The Ghost appeared to be a little older than the Lunch Lady, judging by his wrinkles, as well as having a pair of dark sunglasses that covered his eyes and a mad scientist shock-white hair style on his head.

"Hah! You wet blankets think that I, Technus, the Master of Technology, would be so stupid as to not realize someone would attempt to use an outlet to hack into the system that I conquered?" The Ghost—Technus—scoffed. "No! I merely allowed you to view that file so you could see how deep you are in, _children._ And now its time you realized just how out matched that you are."

With that the ghost disappeared from the screen and Tucker's PDA went dark. A couple of sparks raced down the wires Tucker had spliced and into the PDA before the PDA to spark as well. Tucker dropped his PDA with a yelp, as the sparks burned his hand, before he began to wave his hand in the air trying to cool it off. After shaking his hand had cooled off, Tucker picked up his PDA again before he began to try and turn it on. However, no matter what he tried, he couldn't turn on his PDA let alone get back into the database that he had hacked into. The insides were totally fried.

Sam approached him from behind, her expression sorrowful. "Tucker..."

"... That PDA was a gift that Danny gave me." Tucker muttered to himself as he stared at the PDA, remembering how happy he had been when Danny had given it to him. Danny had remembered what he had wanted for his birthday and had used five months' worth of allowance to buy it for him. He had taken a shine to the device and, soon, he made sure he kept it with him.

"Tucker..." Sam tried to snap him out of his funk, putting a hand onto Tucker's shoulder.

To see something that Danny had given him destroyed in an instant while he was trying to figure out a way to help Danny out of this situation was maddening. He had been given no warning, no real chance to stop his precious gift from being fried. Tucker shoved Sam's hand off him and closed his eyes, fighting back a sudden surge of pure hatred. Without really realizing what he was doing, Tucker began pouring all of his power into his PDA, in the hopes that he could somehow undo what Technus had done. He would fix his PDA and find the information he needed to save all of those people and Danny.

Failure was not an option. He _would_ do it.

Fueled by Tucker's determination and power, his fried PDA began glowing a bright green color. No, that wasn't quite right. If one looked closely, they would find that the PDA was glowing a bright teal; the same color Danny had called their 'flames'.

The sudden light blinded all three people within the room forcing them to turn away or shield their eyes with their hands. When the light died down, everyone looked back at Tucker's PDA, only to be startled when they noticed that it was gone and Tucker's outfit appeared to have changed slightly. Both of Tucker's arms were now covered in sleek, silver gauntlets, like those of a knights armor, that went up to his elbow. Upon closer inspection, one could see a keypad on the left gauntlet that covered what would've been Tucker's forearm.

Both Sam and Sidney's eyes widened at this change, shocked and had just turned his PDA into armor of some sort with just his power, how had he just done that?

"Tucker, what...? How did you...?" Sam managed to stammer out before Tucker began to speak.

"I... I don't know..." Tucker responded with a semi-awed, semi-confused tone as he looked at his new gauntlets. "I wanted to fix it ... and I think I poured my energy into it and... there was a glow and now... I have these gauntlets.."

Tucker barely got to finish his sentence before his eyes glazed over slightly and his head turned towards the gauntlet with the keypad on it. Like a man possessed Tucker began to type on the keypad that left his fingers little more then After typing for a couple of seconds, a panel that was on the back of Tucker's left hand opened the opened panel, a bright light began to shine, making a foot by foot screen appear in midair.

Sam's eyes widened in surprise, "Tucker?"

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—United States of America—Nebraska)

Tier Harribel and her three Fracción could be found running down one of the lesser-known highways in Nebraska, their bodies blurred from the sheer speed they were travelling at. However, instead of Tier being in the lead of the group, it was Mila-Rose. This was because she was carrying Sung-Sun, who was focusing ** keeping her Camuflaje Óptico working.

"Geez..." Mila-Rose began as she shifted Sung-Sun in her arms, annoyed at the silence that had descended between them all. "What do you _eat_, Sung-Sun? It feels as if you weigh as much as _Yammy _does and he weighs a freaking_ ton!_"

Sung-Sun frowned, "Shut up. My weight is of no concern of a muscled cow as yourself..." The insult lacked the usual bite it had, as Sung-Sun was concentrating on maintaining her technique.

Tier sighed as Mila-Rose growled about being called a 'muscled cow' and begin to lay into Sung-Sun, who was now tuning her out. Once this mission was over, she would have to work on her three's teamwork and try and reduce the hostility between them.

She glanced at the Arrancar tracking-device that Szayel had given her as her thoughts drifted into a different direction. _'I can think of ways to deal with that problem later. Right now I need to focus on the mission.'_ She then flipped the phone like device open and began to read over the information that it provided for her. Her eyes widened slightly at the readings it projected for her. _'This isn't good.'_

"-and I'll make a purse out of you!" Mila-Rose finished.

"That is enough." Tier interrupted with a brief glare that instantly shut up her two squabbling Fracción. "Now is not the time to be arguing amongst ourselves; we have more pressing matters to take care of." She glanced at the device again before looking back at her three, "Our target's Reiatsu is slowly fading."

There was a stunned silence for a couple of moments before Apacci turned to look at her leader.

"... What do you mean that the target's Reiatsu is fading, D- Tia?" Apacci asked in worry. In response to her subordinates question, Tier handed over Szayel's device to Apacci so that she could look over the readings on it. Moments later, Apacci swore at what she saw. "How could this be happening?"

"Our target must be weakening in his/her battle by whoever it's fighting against." Though she never said it, the words 'with the Shinigami' were clearly implied by Tier. Her Fracción didn't need to hear the words from Dama—Tia but her intentions were clear to them.

Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun each developed a small scowl or frown as they imagined what could be going on with the mysterious Arrancar. It was easy for them to imagine a fellow Arrancar fighting against a single Shinigami or a group of them, and slowly weakening. And then being slain and 'purified' by the Shinigami. It made them all clench their hands into fists and increase their speed as new determination surged through them.

They would not allow the Shinigami to kill a fellow Arrancar. Especially one that Dios Aizen had personally ordered them to find.

XXXXXX

(Axion Labs)

At the moment Sidney was stealthily walking, or waddling to be more specific, down the corridor that led to the 'Vehicle Testing' section of Axion Labs. He had to go invisible a couple of times to avoid a few of the patrolling guards but so far, it was going pretty well.

He was, however, feeling very nervous about the situation, though he tried to squash that feeling. He needed to focus on helping his friends shut down those strange machines that Tucker had talked about so that they could get Danny back. If he followed the plan that Tucker had suggested then everything should be alright.

XXXXXX

(Earlier—Axion Labs—Storage Room)

Sidney watched in rapt fascination as the strange window materialized in the air above Tucker's gauntlet. Since he had never seen such a thing in his life before and in his death the odd sight fascinated him. That was to be expected though as he hadn't really seen a any of the modern televisions or computers yet, even though Tucker had talked to him about it.

In his time, the closest thing to what Tucker had described where inside a government facility and way bigger than what Tucker had shown him. Some of his former _classmates_ would've probably thought that such things were 'witchcraft' or 'impossible' and, while he did think that sometimes, the proof was before his eyes. So he watched as the 'window' formed above Tucker's gauntlet before a map slowly started to appear on it. He spared a glance at Tucker and Sam's faces and saw that, they too looked curious, in Tucker's case, and confused, for Sam, though Tucker was starting to grin. Did that mean that Tucker knew what was going on or had experienced this strangeness before?

"... These are the blueprints to Axion Labs that I found earlier." Tucker observed with an appreciative, awed tone in his voice. "And these are...?" As Tucker was talking, three red dots slowly formed on the 'blueprints', which drew Sydney and Sam's attention. "These are the places that we need to go."

Sam frowned slightly, "Tucker... how do you know that?"

"I think these gauntlets are like what I can do with normal computer..." Seeing Sam's confused expression, he decided to explain it more. "On a normal computer, I can 'ask' it to help me find something I'm searching for. On these gauntlets... it seems the same concept applies... 'Cause I must've 'asked' my PDA about the locations of the three machines..." He looked down at the gauntlets. "Even I couldn't break through firewalls that easily... but these gauntlets _can_."

"Just what _are _those things?" Sam whispered.

Tucker looked down at his gauntlets and thought about it. "These gauntlets are my power... and the physical manifestation of my determination to help save Danny and destroy Technus." His metal-covered hands clenched, "They are... Data Crusher."

XXXXXX

(Flashback End)

It was soon after that when Tucker had divided them up, with each 'getting' assigned their own kooky machine to destroy. Sidney had been assigned to destroy the machine that was in the Vehicle Testing area, Sam had been tasked with destroying the machine near the experimental bio-fuel area, and Tucker had decided to get rid of the machine near one of the computer labs.

Separating from his new friends, especially under such dire circumstances, had been a really difficult thing for Sidney to do. He didn't want to leave either of them, for fear that they might be hurt but he knew that there was no other choice. With this in mind, Sidney had wished his friends good luck and promised them that he would find them as soon as he destroyed the machine.

At the moment, Sidney had just finished phasing through a wall at the end of the hallway he had walked in earlier. When he next opened his eyes, he saw that he was in a giant garage-like place. There were lots of cars, boats, and small planes scattered around the garage in various states of completion. These were surrounded by a few workstations and things Sidney had no knowledge of.

Sidney wondered where the machine he was supposed to find was, as he couldn't see anything that didn't seem to belong here. As he thought about it, he almost missed the red dot that suddenly appeared on his chest. Sidney looked down at his chest and saw the red dot and immediately became confused since it wasn't there before. He tried to brush away the dot but it seemed to be determined to stay on him. He jumped left and right a few times, which kicked up a bit of dust in the air, but it seemed as if the dot would not leave him alone.

As he was about to just ignore the dot and continue looking for the machine a dozen more dots appeared all over his body, causing Sidney to grow a bit concerned. He didn't know what the dots were supposed to do but he was beginning to feel a bit uneasy about it. That was when he noticed that the dots left a red beam behind in the dust that was in the air.

_'These aren't dots, they're lights.' _Sidney thought as he began to trace the red lights back to their source.

Sidney traced the red beams up into the rafters of the hangers and immediately broke out into a cold sweat. Over a dozen guards were standing on the railing above him, but they were vastly different then the guards that he had seen in the facility so far. Each dressed in form-fitting black uniforms that almost seem to make them blend into the shadows of the higher areas. Each guard was also wearing a black mask that only had a single red lens where the eyes should be and they were equipped with long guns that were trained on him.

"For coming into this area, you will die."

XXXXXX

(With Sam)

At the same moment, one would find Sam walking down a hallway at the same speed as the Zombie-fied guards that were around her while making sure to keep her face blank. She hadn't thought that the hallways to 'her' machine would be so crowded; it bugged her a bit that Tucker or Sidney probably weren't having this problem.

_'And I can't just beat them either...'_ Sam thought with a mental scowl. Unlike her friends, she didn't really have an offensive power that she could use. Her specialty seemed to be tracking which, while helpful in finding people, couldn't help her defeat anybody.

The sting of that realization hurt Sam a bit. She had been training so that she wouldn't be as helpless as she was against the Lunch Lady, but this situation made her feel useless. She had trained to fight with a practice sword and had grown somewhat good with it, especially with the books about swordsmanship that she had. But, her practice sword—which she had tied to her stomach with a ripped bit of her clothing—wasn't ideal for this situation.

While it had been effective in knocking out those guards outside, she had only accomplished that by channeling her energy into the wooden blade. She could probably use this technique to injure normal people but against things like Ghosts...she didn't stand a chance. Ghosts could simply turn intangible to avoid her blows or destroy it with a blast of only reason why she knocked Peten down was because she took him by surprise, if she fought him head to head then she would've easily been beaten.

So lost in thought was she that Sam almost didn't notice she had reached her objective until she literally walked into the door to the Experimental Bio-Fuel area. Stumbling back a bit, she blinked at the door before she looked around. Thankfully the few guards that hadn't walked off somewhere else didn't noticed that she hit the door. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that they appeared to be _avoiding_ the door.

_'Why were they __avoiding the door?'_ Sam thought as she looked at the guards in the hallway. Surely, with one of those three machines in it, Technus would want to protect it very well. This normally would translate into a higher number of guards to protect it. But, the guards were actually avoiding the door to the room with the machine in it. '_So, __why are they avoiding the door?'_

After a moment, Sam shook her head, pushing her growing paranoia away for the time being. This was actually a good thing. If the guards were avoiding the door and the machine was in the Experimental Bio-Fuel area, then her mission would be easier. There would be less people to stand in her way.

So, with this thought in mind, Sam punched in the number that Tucker had gotten for her into the code box on the side of the door. Not even a second after she was done the door slid open with a near-silent 'whoosh' and allowed the scent of the lab to reach her. She clutched her nose in a vain attempt to block the scent of decomposing plant matter.

_'Oh, god, why did it have to smell so bad?'_ Sam thought, eyes tearing at the scent of decomposing plants and other materials.

The room itself was enormous, with a white ceiling, white walls, and light blue tiling as flooring. In the middle of the room was a large, light-green machine that Sam recognized as the "Bio-Fuel Making Machine". It looked somewhat like the distillery that she had seen once when her middle school had taken her class to a brewery for a school field trip. All around the Bio-Fuel Making Machine were containers, which Sam assumed were filled with fuel that Axion Lab created. Also in the room there were small plots of various types of plants which Sam guessed were used to make the fuel.

After a moment, Sam spotted the machine she was after behind the Bio-Fuel Making Machine. She couldn't see it clearly, as only a small part of it was poking out from behind the Bio-Fuel Making Machine, but she didn't need to see it all the way. She just needed to see where it was.

Walking towards the machine, Sam lifted her shirt a bit and removed her practice sword from its makeshift sling in preparation for the destroying it. She barely got the sword free before she sensed something behind her. Twisting around Sam hastily brought her sword up in a guard position just in time to see the flash of light from a descending blade. Sam's wooden sword, charged with her own power, held against the other blade for the briefest of seconds before it was cut cleanly in half, forcing Sam to jump backwards lest she share a similar fate.

Standing before Sam were a trio of crouching figures clad in white form-fitting armor. They were different from the other zombie guards as they actually wore armor instead of the 'traditional' uniform. The armor itself was sleek and white around the chest area with grey around the limbs. Each figure was also wearing sightly elongated helmets which had four glowing red slits where the eyes should've been. The Finally, clasped in each of their hands was a four foot long straight blade that hummed with electricity.

"All intruders have been marked for elimination by Technus."

With that, the figures lunged towards Sam, who could only think of one thing as she fell into a defensive stance.

_'This is going to end badly.' _

XXXXXX

(With Tucker)

In another part of the facility Tucker was walking down the path towards Axion Labs' Computer Labs all the while thinking about his new power, 'Data Crusher'. The first thing that he realized about the gauntlets was that he wouldn't be able to take them with him down the hallways, as they would break his cover as a guard. So with that in mind Tucker tried to deactivate it. For a bit nothing he did seemed to work but it was only after he cut the flow of energy from the gauntlets did they morph back into his precious, easily hidden PDA.

Another bonus of this new power was that his PDA was completely fixed. Before he had somehow activated 'Data Crusher', his PDA had been completely fried from Technus's security protocols. Now though, his PDA looked as if it was brand new. In fact, if Tucker didn't know any better, he would say that his PDA was working _better_ than it had before. But that couldn't be right. It was the same PDA Danny had given him months ago.

_'Or is it?' Tucker thought forlornly as he gazed down at he PDA._

"Stop..." A guard stated from his spot in front of the door that led to the hallways that contained Axion Labs' Computer Labs. " You can go no further. This is Lord Technus' orders"

Tucker floundered a bit in his response. Unlike the other guards he had come across so far, this guard didn't pause multiple times in his sentences and he looked more aware of himself. The blank face of the guard's helmet only made Tucker more nervouse as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"Uh... I-I... I..." Tucker stammered out nervously as he tried to think of a way to appease the guard. He suddenly pointed to the left, "An intruder, over there!"

The guard turned around, "Where is this intru-"

"Data Crusher!" Tucker announced as he practically flooded his PDA with his energy, transforming it into his two gauntlets, before he launched himself at the guard. He quickly knocked the guard out with a couple of blows, made even more effective by his gauntlets. "Hah!" Tucker deactivated his Data Crusher, looking down at the guard as his PDA reformed in his right hand. "You fell for the oldest trick in the book!"

Grinning slightly, Tucker turned back to the door the guard was guarding and looked at the keypad. Attaching a small cable to his PDA, he attached the other end to a small hole he found at the bottom. His brows furrowed in concentration as he slowly hacked into the keypad and discovered the code needed to open it. When he did, he took back the cable and put it in his pocket before he punched the code into the keypad.

The doors opened with a 'whoosh', allowing Tucker inside. He walked briskly down the hallway towards the farthest computer lab, which he knew 'his' machine would be at. However when he was only halfway down the hallway, five figures jumped down from the ceiling and surrounded him.

_'Wha—?!'_

Each of the figures were dressed in black bodysuits, a black helmet with a dark-yellow visor, and silver armor over their chest, elbows, and knees. They were equipped with large, black-and-silver guns in their hands. Said guns were now aimed at Tucker, who had begun to sweat at the sight of them.

"Intruder found. Beginning elimination of intruder." One guard said as the rest took out their hand guns and unfolded some nightsticks that arced with electricity.

"Data Crusher!" With what was becoming the customary flash of light, Tucker's PDA transformed into two silver gauntlets on Tucker's arms. Looking at the guards, he then made a 'come on' motion with his hands.

"Come and get some!" Tucker said as the guards charged towards him.

* * *

><p>Omake:<p>

* * *

><p>Chash smiles as the curtain opened up to reveal him in a talk show host suit, "Sharkteeth and I are happy to announce the winner of the "Who is the Craziest Scientist" Award..." He pointed towards one of the three contestants. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you have been chosen by as the Craziest Scientist!"<p>

"As if there could be anyone other than myself to win such an award." Mayrui scoffed, folding his arms in front of himself. "Neither of the two other 'contestants' could match me in battle, let alone in scientiffic achievements."

Szayel was furious, "How dare you! Do you realize the exten to which I studied Hollows? How Hollows form, how Hollows are able to evolve, why Hollows form masks, what happens to the Hollow when the mask is destroyed or broken as to being removed..." A green-haired child in the audience coughed, "Not to mention all of my studies into Arrancar and my list of inventions!"

"And I, Technus, Master of all Science and Technology-"

"Well, as for your reward..." Like a flower, metal came out from underneath Mayuri and closed at the top, trapping him in a metallic pod. Mayuri banged at the metal from within, demanding to know what was going on. "You have been given a one-way trip into outer space!"

"10..."

Uryū smirked as Mayuri tried to use his Zanpakuto to cut through his metallic prison, "I knew that you would win the contest, so I helped Chash-san and Sharkteeth-san to develop some metal that Zanpakuto can't cut..."

"6..."

Mayuri yelled that he would kill them all when he managed to escape. That no prison could hold him. This only made Uryū scoff and ask him to try to use Kido or his Bankai. Uryū said that he wanted to see what happened when Mayuri tried to use his Banaki, as that metal wasn't going to expand.

"... 4."

"See you later, you crazy clown!" Ichigo waved to the pod, before muttering. "Too bad that the others aren't being sent into space."

"1..."

"Lift off!"

Yachiru looked at the departing pod with a pout, "Oh, poo! Now Kenny will have one less person to play with!"

Chash turned to the audience an smiled at them as Mayuri's pod was launched into outer space, "Well, that's the end folks..." Two pods quickly snatched up the retreating forms of Szayel and Technus, causing them to scream as they started pounding on their prisons as they were dropped into the Mariana trench. "See you guys later!"

"Shoot! Kenny has two more less people to play with!"

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

* * *

><p>1. <span>Cape papier (Paper Cloak)<span>: A camouflaging technique that Sidney can use. To do this, he summons enough paper to cover an object that he wants to camouflage. Once the paper has stuck, the paper slowly blends in with the area around it, making the object the paper is on 'invisible'.

2. Data Crusher: Tucker Foley's Fullbring. It takes the form of a pair of silver gauntlets with a small keypad of the left gauntlet. Data Crusher has shown to have an enhanced form of Tucker's ability to find information by 'asking' for it, though what other powers it has are currently unknown.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Well, that's the end of this chapter, though with some questions. Will Tucker, Sam, and Sidney be able to defeat the specialized guards that Technus has guarding his machines? Will Tier & Co. reach Amity Park in time to save Danny? Will Danny be saved? What does that black monster want with Danny?

Also, check out the new cover art! I was supposed to have uploaded it earlier, but I had some trouble with the lighting of it; it would've been to dark for you guys to see it. I hope that you guys like it~!


	18. Chapter 18:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p>Legend:<p>

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking._'

"A technique is being used.

* * *

><p>Chapter 18:<p>

* * *

><p>(Unknown Location)<p>

When Danny next opened his eyes, he found himself looking out at a familiar horizon made up of white desert and a black sky. Looking around further, Danny noticed that he was sitting on top of a bone-white tree on a small island in the middle of a black, inky lake filled with red stars and dying galaxies. It took a couple of moments for him to comprehend exactly where he was exactly but when he did, Danny nearly fell off the tree in panic.

_'Not again!' _Danny thought as he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"You're here, Danny..."

Danny's eyes widened at the sound of the voice as he caught a flash of black within the galaxies below him. Desperately hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was, Danny turned his head downwards, towards the lake. His heart started beating rapidly even as it felt like it was being squeezed between two ice-cold hands. That's when he saw it.

Like a crocodile slinking onto the shore, the black dragon crawled out of the lake and settled on the beach of the small island. It then turned it's head so it was looking up at Danny. Danny knew that he was trapped in the tree. Even if he attempted to run by using his air walking technique, he wouldn't get very far before the dragon caught him again. Not to mention that if his powers didn't work here like they had last time, he wouldn't even manage to get across the lake. He was completely and utterly trapped with the source of his nightmares and there was nothing that he could do.

Danny felt his throat tightened as he locked eyes with the eyes of the creature that was sure to kill him. He shuddered as if someone had put a tray of ice down his back and his pulsed soared. This was it, he was going to die. Still, if he was going to be eaten, he was not going to allow it the satisfaction of seeing how scared he really was. Mustering all of his courage Danny loosened his tongue and began to speak.

"I am..." Danny managed to choke out.

The dragon said nothing as it looked at Danny for a few moments with a calculating eye. It then spread its massive wings as it slowly rose off of the ground and into the air. It then began to slowly circle the tree, but it's eye's never left Danny. Soon it reached the level that Danny was on and hovered in front of the young Arrancar and began spoke in the familiar deep voice that Danny had come to both fear and hate. "I have to ask Danny, why do you fear what you are?"

The dragon's willingness to talk surprised Danny to no end.

_'Why is this thing not trying to eat me?'_ Danny thought as he stared at the winged beast. After a few fruitless moments of trying to determine its motives, and having no success, Danny decided to answer the black dragon. If he didn't, it could get angry at him and eat him anyway.

"I don't fear myself... though I hate monsters like you!" Danny had no idea why he yelled that second part at the dragon; normally he wasn't this sucidal. Maybe it was the stress of the past few weeks coming to a boil?

Instead of snapping back at him, or eating him, like Danny had thought it would, the dragon did nothing in response to Danny's outburst. It did stop its midair hovering though and started to slowly encircle the tree as it watched him with an unreadable look in its eyes. The stare unnerved Danny and caused him to look away from the beast. And that was when he finally noticed the state of his surroundings.

The horizon, which at first seemed to be endless, was slowly shrinking as the white sands of the desert disappeared, leaving a dark void in its place. Looking down, Danny could see the constellations and galaxies within the black lake collapsing in on themselves and fading out of existence.

What was going on here?

"So, you have finally noticed..." The dragon rumbled as it came to a halt before Danny and then tilted its head towards him. "How does it feel to watch as your Inner World dissolves around you?"

For a moment, Danny forgot about the fact that he was talking to a dragon that could eat him. His curiosity outweighed his fear in this situation so with trepidation in his voice, he spoke up. "My... 'Inner World'...? I don't know what you mean..." Danny said as he watched the desert sand continue to fall into the endless void. "This place is... inside me?"

The dragon nodded once before it started to speak. "A person's Inner World is something that their mind creates and, as no two people are alike, no Inner World are the same. They sometimes reflect places that the person is connected to in some way, though it always has noticeable differences that separate it from the real place. For example, your Inner World is a reflection of Huceo Mundo, while the area we are standing on doesn't exist there."

"Huceo Mundo? I don't think..." Danny began to say, unable to stop himself until the words had escaped from his mouth. He remembered the Lunch Lady saying those two worlds, and then Tucker saying it meant 'Hollow World' after running them through a translator. Combining that with Sidney's explanation on the different spiritual worlds and their inhabitants, Danny came to the conclusion that Huceo Mundo was the home world of the Hollows.

"But I haven't been there before, how could I have been influenced by that place if I've never seen it?" Danny asked as he watched another group of stars collapse and vanish from the surface of the lake.

_'Why would I have a connection to that horrible place?_' Danny thought as he tried to make sense on what he had just learned. '_I know that my powers are connected to those soul eating monsters but... I've never devoured a human soul.'_

The black dragon then started to speak again. "That is true. Your Inner World resembles Huceo Mundo not because you've seen it before but because of your connection to it. Your power resonates with it. It being barren is a representation of how alone you felt because of your parents' behavior until you made friends with Tucker and then Sam."

_'Wait, what?'_ Danny thought in in alarm. '_My power resonates with it... what's that supposed to mean?'_ Danny pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he thought about what else the dragon had said. Somehow it not only knew this but also about his two friends and how he felt during his childhood.

Danny looked up at the intelligent dragon and licked his dry lips, "How... How do you know all of this?"

"I know this because..." The dragon then hovered in front of the branch that Danny was standing on before its scales began to crack and peel off, transforming into sliver ash as soon as it touched the air. Danny's eyes widened at the all-to familiar sight but didn't have a chance to talk as an entirely new and hauntingly familiar figure stepped out of the silver cloud. "I am you and you are me."

Danny was stunned speechless at the figure standing before him, it was him but it appeared to be an older version of him. The figure stood at a full six feet in height and had all of his facial features, except they were sharper and more defined, due to age. It also had a few distinguishing features that further separated it from Danny.

First off its skin was a pale white with around its neck were patches of obsidian scales and his ears were narrowed into points. The man had, instead of hair, four long white spikes that were arranged in the same manner as the dragon's crown of horns. Finally, the figure seemed to be wearing a leathery cloak of some kind that was latched in front of his chest with a pair of hooks.

Danny's eyes widened in alarm before he scooted backwards and away from the older-looking version of himself. "What—What are you?!"

It couldn't be him! He wasn't a monster that attacked people and ate them! He was just Danny, a teenager with two Ghost Hunter parents who had never wanted any of this! Danny screwed his eyes shut, trying to deny the existence the being in front of him as he desperately tried to convince himself that this was all some sort of dream.

_'This can't be real!'_

"Oh, but I am real Danny," The older version of him said in an even and smooth tone of voice. "Everything that you see before you is as real as you are. Everything in this Inner World, from the sands of the desert to even myself, are all a small part of your soul Danny. Denying any of this is the same as denying a part of yourself."

"No!" Danny yelled as he got to his feet and stared down the taller figure with fire in his eyes. "You're not a part of me! You're an evil beast that's trying to change me!"

And then Danny saw something within the man's eyes that gave him pause. The same eyes that the man had in his draconic form, usually filled with an endless sense of power, were now dimmed with sorrow. "Truly, I am sorry that you feel this way Danny, but you must understand what you are if you are ever able to wield your true power."

XXXXXX

(With Tucker)

Things were not going well for Tucker.

The instant that he had taunted the guards they had opened fire on him with their guns. Thankfully they were using taser rounds of some kind that were way slower than normal bullets. So with his enhanced reflexes that were created through countless hours of training in Muy Thai Tucker bobbed and weaved his way out of the taser round's path by scant inches. After a bit of this the telltale click of empty magazine rang through the air, now was the time for a counter attack. Tucker spun around and charged towards the guards, who were also moving towards him.

While the guards were moving towards him, seemingly thinking of using their guns as clubs, Tucker was also on the move. As the first of the guards tried to smash Tucker's head in with his gun, Tucker turned to the side to dodge the first guard's gun. He then bent his knees and used his right knee to knee the guard in the gut, sending him flying backwards. Before Tucker could reveal in his victory however, he barely avoided another blow to the head, causing him to wince. That was a close one!

Tucker's eyes narrowed as he got within the second guard's comfort zone and began his attack. Tucker delivered a series of closed-fist punches to the guard's torso, which were sure to hurt in the morning, especially since he now had Data Crusher on. Even if he didn't know how to use the gauntlets fully, he knew that the metal that made them up would only enhance his punches. This proved to be true as the second guard was thrown into the wall near the first one by the force of Tucker's attack.

However, when he looked back on this later, he would think about how he should've known that he would have to fight more than one person at a time. The second guard charged in as soon as he recovered, swinging his gun towards Tucker's head. Tucker took a step backwards to avoid the swing and then lashed out with his right leg and knocked the guard backwards. He then saw the first guard get up and aim his gun at him while the others did the same.

Seconds later, Tucker fell to his knees as the butt of a third guard's gun tried to hit him in the back of his head. Tucker thenswiftly delivered an elbow strike to the guard's sternum but then had to roll out of the way as the other guards began to fire at him. Just as he was about to finish the roll Tucker leapt his feet and continued to dodge the guards' taser rounds. Unfortunately for Tucker, he sometimes wasn't fast enough to dodge all of the bullets, leading to some bullets grazing through the fabric of his clothing or bouncing off of Data Crusher; each near miss delivered a small shock to Tucker's system.

Just as Tucker dodged another hail of bullets by lying prone to the floor, a fist impacted against the ground near Tucker's head as the bullets suddenly stopped. Tucker's eyes widened as he saw a spider web of cracks spread from the fist's impact spot force behind it. He got a few seconds chance to look at the helmeted visage of one of the guards before he was kicked in the side, making him go wide-eyed as the air was forced from his lungs. The force of the kick was so powerful that he was sent flying through the air and impacting against a wall that was down the hallway a bit. Just as his senses returned to him, Tucker heard the telltale sounds of the guards clicking a fresh clip into their guns.

So, that's why they had stopped firing at him; they were reloading.

While it was nice to know just what the other guards had been doing, it really didn't help him get out of the situation he was in now. Knowing that there was no time to dodge or mount a proper defense against the incoming hail of bullets Tucker got on his knees and put Data Crusher in front of his body just as the guards starting to squeeze the triggers of their weapons.

_'I can't die here.'_ Tucker thought as he started to channel even more energy into the gauntlets in an effort to bolster his defense._ 'I can't die... I won't!'_

All of a sudden there came a bright green flash from his Data Crusher which turned into a pair of bright green shields in front of him. Both shields were oval in shape-and were almost as tall as he was- and appeared to be made from green light. Finally Tucker noticed the hundreds of lines of binary code that ran down the shields' exteriors. Tucker stared at the shields in awe as he watched them deflect all of the bullets that the guards were firing at him.

_'This is amazing,'_ Tucker thought as he stared at the shields. _'They're blocking all of the bullets! But, how?_' He looked down at Data Crusher and wondered if it was involved somehow. It made the most sense, as he didn't purposefully make those walls.

Before Tucker could wonder more on the mystery of the shields the guards finally noticed that their bullets were doing nothing against Tucker. So, abandoning long range, all of the guards ran towards Tucker while they gripped their weapons like they were clubs. The intention was obvious even to someone like Tucker; they wanted to smash through his shields and then smash him.

Confident that the shields would hold—as they had blocked that barrage of bullets—Tucker stood there and watched as the guards approached. With the first strike of the gaurd's attack Tucker knew that he had made a terrible mistake. There was a sound similar to that of a gong being struck as a guard smashed his club against one of the shields. Tucker took a half a step backwards as he saw the shield crack around the area that he guard hit and he finally noticed the drain in his Reiryoku.

_'How could I have lost so much energyso quickly? '_ Tucker thought as he started to panic.

As the guard pulled back his weapon, Tucker saw the cracks glow slightly and mend themselves as his remaining Reiryoku took a noticeable dip. He didn't have much time to think on this as the other guards rammed their clubs into both of his shields. A couple of milliseconds passed before the shields shattered.

Tucker gaped for a moment before his mind screamed for him to move. Tucker ducked underneath the swing of the nearest guard's club before sweeping out with his legs in a low kick. The guard, unprepared for this, couldn't dodge in time and was sent crashing onto his back. The guards companions seemed stunned for a second at the sight of their downed comrade. Tucker took advantage of this and turned tail, running down the hallway as fast as his legs would carry him.

If he could take out that machine before those guards caught him again, he wouldn't need to worry about taking out the gaurds. In the corner of his mind, Tucker wondered how his friends were doing, and if the machines they were sent after had guards as well. If they didn't, they were extremely lucky.

XXXXXX

(With Sam)

Sam hastily ducked down as a single swipe from the guard's electric sword sliced the tree that was right behind her. She then delivered a quick pommel strike to the guard's stomach as she stumbled away from the stunned white-clad guard.

Ever since her sword had been destroyed by the guards she had been forced to run from the guards. After all it would've been suicide for her to take on three highly trained guards with just a broken blade. Sensing something behind her, Sam twirled around and hurled the pommel of her practice sword at the guard that was about to attack her. Then, as that guard swiftly cut the pommel into slivers, Sam vanished within a flash of green light. And just in time to as a sword swung through the place where her head had been at.

_'This is very bad.'_ Sam thought as she reappeared behind the Bio-Fuel Making Machine. All of her offensive capabilities were tied up with her sword and without it, she couldn't defeat them. Fortunately, she still had her speed technique, which she knew t to now be invaluable when it came her survival.

But that was beside the point. Those guards were all armed with electric swords while she had no weapon on her. Combining that with the fact that these guards were fast, it didn't paint a pretty picture for her. She knew that she could only hide and dodge for so long before they found her and then, well, she didn't want to think about that right now. She needed some way to return to the offensive or else she would not last past this battle.

Sam then heard something whistling through the air and dodged to the side, barely avoiding the blade of an electric sword that imbedded itself into the machine. Unfortunately, the sword still managed to cut through some of her hair, the sight of which caused Sam to gulp. Before Sam could contemplate her next move, the guard that threw the sword at her tried to deliver a leap kick to her head. Sam disappeared in another flash of green but had to continue moving as she spotted the other guards rounding around a from a role of corn, their swords already sparking with electricity as they did so.

_'This is really unfair_.' Sam thought as she dodged a series of sword strikes. She really didn't care about the fact that they outnumbered her or that Technus must have poor fashion sense if he really was the one who designed these guards outfits. No, what she was really upset about that the guards were so unrealistically skilled with a sword. She knew that none of the people who worked at Axion Labs were this fit, but here they were a trio of would-be ninjas trying to take her head. But in the end she was really upset about the fact that all of her hard work amounted to nothing in the face of her opponents.

She had been practicing for weeks with her practice sword and had only become 'decent', according to an instructor she had gone to see recently. Why did these guards get a short-cut with Technus' modifications while she had to work to her hands to the bone? Why was she still so weak?!

Sam was so consumed by her self-doubt and her preconceived faults that she accidentally stumbled once she ended her latest dodge. The guard closest to Sam saw the chance to destroy the intruder and took it. With a sudden burst of speed, the guard burst forward and thrust her sword towards Sam's chest. It was to be the final blow; the killing blow. _'I guess that I was outmatched from the very beginning._' Sam thought as the blade inched closer and closer towards her heart. _'I'm sorry Danny...'_

It was only seconds later when the sword struck true.

.

XXXXXX

(With Sidney)

"For coming into this area, you will die."

Sidney had heard the guards statement he had quickly turned intangible and then sunk into the floor; and just in time too. Not even a second later the guards had fired their weapons at the spot where he once stood, completely obliterating the concrete. Sidney's eyes widened in alarm as he floated out of the floor before they narrowed; this was going to be even more dangerous then he thought. The guards saw that Sidney wasn't dead yet so they took aim with their weapons and opened fire. Thankfully, Sidney was already on the move.

Doing a barrel roll in mid-air, Sidney avoided the bullets and became tangible once more as he prepared his attack. He would have liked to stay intangible but, to attack, he would need to become tangible again if he wanted his attack to do any damage. Reaching down with a flipper, Sidney unzipped the pouch of his fanny-pack as he hid behind a metal crate. "Petite Papier Armes (Small Paper Weapons)!"

Paper flooded out of his fanny-pack and launched itself at the guards, folding itself into numerous small, sharp knives as it did so. Seeing the knives coming towards them, the guards quickly dived to the side to avoid the paper weaponry before they turned their guns onto Sidney again. Before they could fire however, Sidney's weapons halted in mid-air and then flew back at the guards.

Sidney had never really believed that he could have ended up in a situation like this before. For the last fifty years, he had been stuck in a copy of his time at Casper High, replayed on a continuous loop. He had managed to escape it a few times—where he learned about being a Ghost, amongst many other things—but had always been forced back into that living hell. He had honestly thought that he would go insane from it all.

Then, one day, he had discovered that mirror in his locker was actually a portal to the Human World. New hope had filled him as he tried to use the mirror, only for him to quickly find out that it took a lot of his Reiryoku to activate it for a couple of seconds. Still, he had pushed against the mirror day after day until, finally, he managed to pass through into the Human World. And that was when he first met Danny, Sam, and Tucker.

The guards quickly aligned themselves so that, when they landed, they landed on their feet. Sure, their first meeting hadn't gone that well, but that was to be expected considering that other Ghosts had been so hostile to the three. Sidney still didn't know why he had gone back through the mirror that day. He assumed it was because he didn't want to start another fight, especially with an Arrancar, but a part of him believed it was because that he didn't want them to get into trouble. What surprised him though was that, later, he managed to hear them through the mirror and exit it again.

And this time, he stayed out.

His paper weapons scored hits with two of the guards and knocked them over the edge of their precarious perches. The other guards, though, had managed to destroy the knives heading at them. It surprised Sidney that those bullets were capable of destroying his paper; it meant that either his paper wasn't as strong as he thought or those bullets were stronger than he had thought.

Either way, the grounded guards had gotten up and were aiming their weapons at him again. There was no time to think. "Petite Papier Armes!" This time, instead of knives, he sent thin spears at the guards. Sidney wasn't trying to kill them but he would be darned if they fired those weapons at him again!

As the thin paper spears pierced through some of the weapons of the guards, Sidney started to remember his first night in the Human World. That night, it had been decided that he would be staying at Tucker's house, or more specifically the attic of his house. While he hadn't cared much about the dust or the few cobwebs in the attic, to him the small space was paradise compared to his old residence. It was only made better when Tucker had made up some excuse to his parents and they spent time cleaning the attic and talking to each other.

The guards then fired onto the vehicle that Sidney was standing next to, making it explode in a ball of fire. Sidney dodged the explosion by becoming intangible once more and sinking into the floor. The most amazing thing, however, came the day where he was taken to the junkyard. He had been asked to explain the spiritual worlds to the teenagers. And then they had complimented his sketches and called them "art". His heart had felt like it was going to burst then as he was swamped with relief. He had broken down that day—his stress and desperation catching up with him—before Danny had left the shed.

Sidney exited the ground then returned to his tangible state as he threw a couple more paper knives towards the guards. And then the most profound event happened to him. Danny had destroyed the mirror to his prison. The thing that represented the living hell he had gone through, the years of never-ending bullying, the futile escape attempts was finally gone. It felt like his slate had been washed clean and he was whole for the first time in years. That time, he had cried tears of joy as he thanked Danny, who didn't hold what he did for Sidney over him.

He was free.

The guards' bullets hit the tips of the spears and continued on through the middle of them, ripping the paper apart and causing it to fall to the floor. Sidney's eyes widened before he quickly used his Petite Papier Bouciler to form a five-layered shield of paper in front of him. It was good that he did because, naught three seconds later, he heard the bullets impact it and rip through the first three layers.

It was definitely the bullets. No ordinary bullet would have been able to rip through his Petite Papier Armes' weapons or his Petite Papier Bouciler. Ordinary bullets would simply bounce off or get stuck in his Papier Bouclier and, while his Petite version of it was weaker than it, it should've been more than enough to stop them. What kind of kooky weapons did Technus equip these people with?

There was a moment's pause as Sidney stopped hearing the bullets tearing through his paper. He wondered about the reason; why had they stopped? Were they reloading their kooky weapons again? It seemed not very effective to have to reload after a shot or two.

Not even a second later, Sidney got hit answer.

Sidney hadn't seen as the guards uncliped something from their belts and then throw it at him and his shield. He never heard the egg-like objects as they whistled through the air, never making a sound as they hit the shield. He never heard the metal pins drop to the floor and bounce twice.

Boom.

The world seemed to slow down as the grenades impacted against Sidney's Petite Papier Bouclier. The grenades then exploded in an enormous fireball that quickly spread to consume both Sidney and his shield and then beyond. There were similar, though smaller, explosions as the fireball grew and consumed the nearby vehicles and caused them to explode when the oil ignited.

The guards—clad in their extremely flame resistant suits—looked into the hellish flames with blank expressions underneath their masks. Their eyes however darted around, looking inside the flames, looking for the intruder. Intruders had to be eliminated; Lord Technus had ordered it so.

Flames danced in the reflection of the head guard's goggles as they stopped looking, "Target... eliminated."

All of a sudden the flames turned an acidic green which startled the guards. These green flames surged forward, forcing the guards to jump backwards, quickly covering and then smothering all other flames in their paths. A wave of burning green paper flew through the air and formed a path through the air**.**

"I didn't expect for you cats to have explosives with you."

A shadow formed behind the burning paper seconds before Sidney Poindexter walked into view. The Prinny plushy he had been occupying was hanging from his right hand—the fabric burnt and the plastic melted—though he only looked mildly singed. That, however, wasn't all that was different about him; Sidney now had color.

Sidney now looked like a pale-skinned teenager with combed-back black hair and soft grey eyes. His formerly white shirt was now a pale yellow while his pants had remained black. Sidney, however, noticed none of this as he stared down the guards, who had already begun to raise their weapons again.

Sidney'seyes narrowed, "You cats kidnapped my friend Danny and tried to kill me with an explosive." The guards fired at him again, only for the flaming paper to form into a shield before the Ghost, blocking the bullets. "I know that Technus is controlling you... So I'll try to make this as painless as possible. Papier Typhoon (Paper Typhoon)!"

With that, the flaming paper surged forth and began circling around the guards, too fast for even their enhanced eyes to catch. This was only made worse by the fact that Sidney's paper was burning away, leaving the smoldering remainders to cloud the guards' view. This, however, was only a side-effect of the paper being burned; it was not the true purpose of this exhausting attack.

The true purpose of the attack became revealed as the paper tightened the circle the guards were corralled in and began to leave thin cuts on their suits. The guards tried firing their weapons at the vortex of paper and, while it blew a few layers away, it didn't do them any good. To make it worse, they were losing ground, it was getting harder to see, and more and more cuts were appearing all over their suits. Moments passed as the vortex continued to tighten until it was pressing in on the guards on all sides.

Seconds latter, there was a popping sound as the three guards were launched upwards, through the top of the vortex. Sidney looked away as the guards fell to the ground, unconscious and bleeding slightly from their newfound cuts. With naught a sound, Sidney ended his technique before the flaming paper fluttered to the ground while the pieces that weren't returned to him.

"I really am sorry..." Sidney began to say as he turned away from the downed bodies. "but I can no longer allow you to hold me back." It wasn't clear who he was talking to now; the guards or to the himself. "The future is waiting for me."

With that, Sidney took his first step away from the hellish memories of his past—as a Human and Ghost—and into the future. He wasn't that sad, lonely little boy anymore. He didn't need memories of that time clouding his future decisions and choices.

XXXXXX

(Danny's Inner World)

"Truly, I am sorry that you feel this way Danny, but you must understand what you are if you are ever able to wield your true power."

Danny looked at the dragon-man for a couple of moments, too stunned to speak. Eventually though, his shock wore off and he grew angry as his brain caught up and fully registered the dragon-man's words. Standing up, his hands fisted into his sides as he stood up to his tormentor. "I never wanted any of this!"

"Danny—"

"I never wanted to go through the Ghost Portal and become an Arrancar! I never wanted to start lying to my family and hide these... powers... from them! I never wanted the responsibility of using them to protect people from Ghosts! I never wanted to fight anyone!" Danny clenched his eyes shut as his breath hitched. "I never wanted anything to do with that..."

"And yet... you strive to do just that."

Danny sucked in quick lungful of air and opened his eyes. There, he saw the dragon-man looking at him with an unusually soft expression on his face. Adding to this was the fact that the dragon-man was extending his hand towards Danny.

"You dealt with your guilt over lying to your family because you didn't want to get them involved. You didn't want them to search needlessly for some sort of 'cure' or study you like they study Ghosts. You strived to control your powers because you didn't want to hurt anyone, unlike the Ghosts you have fought thus far. You fight because you know there is no one else except for you to defend your precious people."

Silence was the man's answer. Danny simply stared at the extended hand, eyes whirling with the multitude of emotions and memories he felt. He remembered his second battle against the Lunch Lady, where he fought to protect everyone at the two rallies. He remembered when he first managed to take a step on air as if it were solid and the joy he felt because of it. He remembered helping Sidney and fighting Skulker. He remembered Sam's tearful admission and the unwavering support she and Tucker had given him from the start.

Danny glanced at his crumbling Inner World for a second before he returned his attention to the dragon-man. "Alright." He said, taking the extended hand. "I don't know if you're lying to me or not, but it's time I stopped running away from you."

"For too long you have let the feelings others influence your decisions. You fear their rejection and crave their acceptance, but no more. Cast off yourself imposed shackles and let your choices determine your future. Let none be your judge, Danny."

Danny looked at the dragon-man for a couple of moments and then nodded shallowly. Instead of the hatred and fear over his Arrancar form, he now felt a budding acceptance towards it. He looked up at the dragon-man again, wondering if he had anything to do with it, and finally asked. "What is your name?"

"My name is... Leviatán."

XXXXXX

(With Sam)

Having expected some pain for when the guard's sword cut through her body, Sam was confused when she felt no pain at all. A slight frown came to her face as time ticked by and she still didn't feel anything. Then, patience worn thin, she opened her eyes. It was then that Sam noticed that the guard's sword had cut through the upper portion of 'her' jacket and was now embedded in the golden locket hanging around her neck.

Her grandmother's locket.

When Sam had been six years old, her grandmother had passed on her gold locket to her. Her grandmother had explained that it was very important to her because her brother had gotten for her during the Great Depression. She had then told Sam that she was passing it down to her because she felt that Sam would be able to take care of it.

Entrusted with such a precious object had led to Sam taking great care of it. She made sure that it was cleaned before she went to bed, and that the opening mechanism never rusted, as it contained a small picture of her grandmother's brother on one side and a picture of her, Danny, and Tucker on the other. It had been her secret because she was afraid that someone would steal or break it.

Sam felt a lead weight drop into her stomach. Of all the things her grandmother had asked of her, she had only ever asked for her to take care of the locket. Now, though, that precious locket had been broken, saving her life in the process. How would she face her grandmother now? It would break her old heart to see her brother's gift destroyed—

Wait. Tucker's PDA had been fried by Technus but it became as good as new after he first transformed it into Data Crusher. He said that he didn't know what had really caused the transformation, but she had seen the green glow moments before. He had been channeling his spiritual energy into it. Maybe, just maybe, she could do the same and repair her grandmother's locket.

Sam, however, noticed the other guards rushing towards her and how the guard in front of her ripped his sword free of her locket. There was no time to think or to react. All she could do was channel all that remained of her spiritual energy into the locket and hope that it would work. "Please let this work..."

It was only a couple seconds later when the locket began to glow a bright green color. The guards, thinking that Sam was preparing some kind of attack, jumped backwards while getting better grips on their electric swords. However instead of an attack, the guards were thrown back by a pulse of energy. Sam's locket then burst into hundreds of silver-gold vines. These vines quickly spread out from the locket and crawled over Sam's body at a rapid pace.

By the time the vines had stopped extending, Sam had been covered in light armor centered around her torso. It was there that the vines had encircled her torso until only a few bits of clothing were visible underneath the twisting, silver-gold 'breastplate'. Two vines twirled around each of her shoulders before descending to lazily encircle each of Sam's arms. There were also vines wrapped around Sam's waist, where they then fell, spinning around her legs, and ended at her silver sandal-covered feet.

Sam raised one of her arms, noting how light the vines seemed, and ran her other hand over her other arm. The vines felt exactly like her locket and she could feel all of the spiritual energy she had flowed into the locket coursing through them. Before she could examine her new armor any further, the edge of an electric sword slammed into Sam's chest, where the locket had been, and sent her hurtling backwards.

_'In retrospect, admiring one's new outfit is not a good thing to do while in battle.'_ Sam thought as she crashed into the side of the Bio-Fuel Making Machine and slid to the ground. Still though, the impact had barely hurt at all. Getting up, Sam thanked her new armor for that, as she probably would've hurt her back really bad otherwise.

But, what was she supposed to do now?

_'No! No time to think negatively. I have to_ act.' Sam thought as she eyed the guards rapidly approaching her. _'I wonder, though...'_

Sam channeled more of her spiritual energy into her armor, only to blink as the room exploded with white spirit ribbons. There were the standard white ribbons, a couple of green ribbons, a black ribbon, and another gray ribbon.

_'Wait... what are those?'_ Sam thought as she ducked underneath the swing of one of the guards' swords. Besides the dozens of ribbons that filled the room, there were the hundreds of tiny, knotted ribbons that she could see extending from her feet and out towards every plant in the room. After avoiding a strike that would've bisected her, Sam reached out with her hand and pulled the nearest knotted ribbon. In response, a nearby patch of corn stalks jerked before shooting cobs up into the air.

_'... Those ribbons belong to plants and, by pulling them, I can cause them to do something?'_ Sam thought with a amazed expression on her face. Seconds later, she grinned and said, "Excellent", before she pulled on the same ribbon again. This time, though, she visualized the corn stalks aiming themselves at the guards before firing.

Like before, the corn stalks jerked about but this time, they then aimed towards the guards closing in on Sam. With the sound of a cannon firing, the corn stalks unleashed a barrage of corn cobs at the guards. Of course, seeing the incoming attack, the guards raised their swords and sliced at the cobs. There was a moment where it seemed as if the cobs would hold against the swords but then they were sliced through like butter.

"Aww..." Sam pouted for a moment as, while she knew the cobs stood no chance, she was hoping that they would work anyway. Still though, the attack wasn't waisted; she had learned that, if she visualized something happening when she pulled on the ribbon, the corresponding plant would do its best to fulfill it.

So with a quick turn, she started running past the bin of cornstalks that she had been manipulating and gave the ribbon one last tug. This time though, the corn stalks reached up from their position and launched themselves at the guards, stretching out themselves as if they were unfurling nets. The speed was enough for the nearest guard to be ensnared by the corn stalks while the others had to jump backwards and avoid them.

"Hah! That's for breaking my sword, you jerks!" Sam yelled before she tugged at the ribbon again, causing the now-grounded corn stalks to bend before leaping at the guards from behind. "And that—" She began as the corn stalks hit and then wrapped around the remaining guards, knocking them to the floor. "—is for almost breaking my grandmother's locket!"

Struggling fiercely now, the guards attempted to slice at their impromptu bonds with their swords, only for the corn stalks to wrap around their wrists, preventing them from moving. Sam had seen them move towards their swords and, remembering the fate of the corn cobs, she wasn't going to allow them to escape. So, pulling on the ribbon again, she had the corn stalks tighten around them even further, preventing them from moving any part of their bodies that were ensnared by the stalks.

After looking at her squirming captives for a moment, Sam quickly walked up to one and slapped him/her in the back of the head as hard as she could. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have the strength to knock someone out with a blow like that, but with her new armor, the guard went out like a light. The guard's sword fell out of his/her limp fingers and Sam picked it up. "Fair trade: you break my sword, I take yours."

"You... shall not defeat... Lord Technus." One of the downed guards growled.

Sam weighed the sword in her hands for a minute, finding it very light, and took a few practice swings. "I doubt that. He kidnapped my best friend and I will make him pay for that. Besides... I'm not the only person here with a grudge."

"There are... other intruders?"

"Yeah, but you won't be telling any of this to your so-called 'Lord'." Sam said as she grabbed her sword with both hands and approached the guard who had been speaking to her, "Kousaka Slash!"

With that, Sam brought down her sword on the back of the guard's head, too fast for him to see. She smiled—her sword didn't break like her practice swords when she tried that move—as the unconscious guard went limp. Then, moving like the wind, she rushed over and knocked out the remaining guards with the flat of her blade.

Oh, yeah, she was definitely keeping this sword.

XXXXXX

(With Tucker)

At the moment, Tucker could be found in a server room, crouching behind a desk as bullets rained down on his position. It was lucky that he had managed to get a good fifty-foot lead on the guards before they had managed to run after him, shooting at him in an attempt to slow him down. If he hadn't, then he wouldn't have made it to the room he was in now and dive for cover before they burst in the door after him.

Tucker tried to poke his head around the desk, to see why it had gone so quiet all of a sudden,Before he could even get a look though, a bullet impacted the spot near his head which resulted in a shower of wooden splinters as the wood began to give way. Crying out as some of the splinters attacked his face, Tucker retreated back behind the desk. Then, wincing from the pain of his new cuts, Tucker now knew the reason the bullets had stopped firing. The guards had been reloading their guns.

_'I can't stay pinned down like this...'_ Tucker thought as he felt the vibrations caused by the bullets as they pounded against and slowly tore away his defensive cover. _'But, what can I do? The moment that I step out there, they'll load my body with lead.'_

Looking around for something to help him out, Tucker saw that there was a half-full trash can on the right side of the desk and a couple of dropped pens on the floor. The pens wouldn't be useful for more than a second's distraction, but the trash can could help. Especially if he was able to use it as a shield until he got close enough to those guards. Still, that would leave his legs, shoulders, and some parts of his arms vulnerable.

The wooden desk—they still had them in well-funded places like Axion Labs?!—was falling apart, so he didn't have much time to think of a plan. Either use the trash can as a shield and/or a projectile or wait until the bullets ripped through the desk.

His choice was obvious. He waited until he heard the bullets die down, a sign of the guards reloading, before he sprung out from behind. He quickly dodged to the left as a small series of bullets rushed him, and brought the trash can up as a makeshift shield. Tucker then ran forward to confront the guards all the while feeling the bullets impacting against the trash can.

It was when he was ten feet away from the guards when he noticed a lull in the fire. Taking his chance, Tucker ripped the lid off the trash can and hurled it like a frisbee. There was a 'clang' as the lid hit a guard in the head and made him release his gun as he collapsed onto the floor.

The guards stopped firing entirely at this, glanced at their fallen comrade for a moment, and whipped their heads around as Tucker descended on them. He threw the trash can at one guard to knock him over and then spun to a halt. Tucker then lashed out with a solid kick to another guard's jaw, knocking him backwards, and twirled on the spot to knock another guard down with an elbow strike.

The fifth and only standing guard attempted to club Tucker in the side of the head, only for Tucker to duck the gun so it missed him by mere inches. Tucker quickly stepped to the side as the guard pulled back and delivered right elbow jab to the back of the guard's head. The guard's gun fell from his now-limp fingers as the force of the blow rendered him unconscious with a single hit.

Not even a second later Tucker felt something heavy slam into his shoulder and force him onto the ground. Grimacing with tears in his eyes, tucker turned around only to see a guard swinging a gun at his face. Tucker then rolled over to the side to avoid a shot and was forced to hold back a scream as he moved his injured shoulder. Then, as the guard withdrew and prepared to swing his gun again, Tucker got to his knees and jabbed forward with his left hand, straight into the guard's chest.

With the air forced out of his lungs, the guard fell to the floor, just in time for tucker to get to his feet.

_'Why can't these guys give up?!'_ Tucker thought as the remaining two guards charged at him. Tucker managed to bring up his left arm to block one's blow with Data Crusher but then had to roll to the side to the side to avoid the others attack. _'I mean, _really_?!_ He ducked as they swung at him again and lashed out with his legs, sweeping both guards' legs out from underneath them. "Take _this_!"

Then, before either of the two guards could get up, Tucker got up and kicked them both in the back of his head. Sure, he felt bad about them being mind-controlled and everything, but he hadn't had any meat since lunch and they had been shooting bullets at him for what felt like forever. He was justified if he was being a little rough in knocking his wanna-be murderers unconscious.

XXXXXX

(Axion Labs—With Technus)

"WHAT?! THEY BEAT THE GUARDS?!"

This cry was made by a fuming Technus, who was currently floating with his hands on his control panel, having just slammed them onto it moments before. He had been monitoring the fights between the three would-be rescuers of the Arrancar since the battles had begun hoping to see them fail in their attempts; this was not the case. Not only had his guards been beaten the humans unlocked some sort of power, making them stronger.

Humans weren't supposed to have _any_ Reiryoku! Let alone enough of it to activate and then maintain some sort of supernatural power!

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Technus forced himself to calm down. Those brats would never be able to stop him in time. He had guessed their current goal was to take out his machines, thus releasing the Humans under his control and undoing the inner labs' transformation. Still, even without those things, he would win.

The Arrancar would be finished off very soon and with his death, Technus' family will be saved. He had almost completely drained the brat of his Reiryoku and, unless those other brats could move like lightning, they would be too late to save their friend. Even if they could, they would have to get through him and his latest invention.

As Technus thought about his newest invention, he almost didn't notice as the cables connecting to the Arrancar's pod beginning to spark. Eyes widening, he turned full attention to the Arrancar as the brat began to unconsciously release his Reiryoku. Technus raced over to the Arrancar's pod and frantically tried to find out what was wrong. His eyes then widened as he watched as the brat's Reiryoku begin to resist the drain. That shouldn't be possible, the brat shouldn't be able to resit his machine!

Technus grit his teeth, narrowed his eyes, and mentally demanded the universe to tell him why there were so many arising complications in his plans. No, no, he could deal with this. He would just fix the cables before they broke again and increase the drainage on the Arrancar's Reiryoku. He couldn't allow the alternative; his family _would_ live again.

* * *

><p>Techniques:<p>

* * *

><p>1. <span>Petite Papier Armes (Small Paper Weapons)<span>: A miniature version of Papier Armes that Sidney has developed while he has been recovering inside Sam's Prinny plushy. Like Papier Armes, it creates weapons, though much smaller. This makes the weapons faster, though it makes them easier to destroy and dodge.

2. Papier Typhoon (Paper Typhoon): With this technique, Sidney causes a large volume of paper to surrond an enemy in a enormous tornado of paper. If the enemy attempts to escape then they will risk the chance of running into the 'walls' of rotating, cutting paper. As time goes on, the vortex will slowly tighten, forcing the enemies into the middle of it, only increasing the likelyhood of damage.

3. Kousaka Slash: Typically used as a finishing move, this technique is simply a powerful downward slash. If used by a skilled user, it has the potential to cut the thin side of a leaf in two. If used against an armored opponent, it can knock them down, if the the user puts enough force into it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Sorry that it's taken so long, guys! Me and Sharkteeth-sama just wanted to make the fight scenes as good as we possible could... so I hope they meet your standards. Anyways, tell me how you guys liked it; comments about the chapter, comments about Sam and Tucker's Fullbring, Danny's Inner World, Leviatán, and some constructive criticism... You know the drill.

As you guys may have noticed, Amity's Arracar has acquired some fan art! If you go onto my profile, you will see well drawn and colored pictures of: Danny first seeing his Arrancar form, Tucker's Fullbring, Prinny!Sidney, and Danny's Hollow mask! Thank you, untambledragon144 (akahime4 on deviantART)!


	19. Chapter 19:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking._'

"A technique is being used.

* * *

><p>Chapter 19:<p>

* * *

><p>(With Sidney)<p>

At the moment, Sidney was floating inside a room he had found inside the hangar, directly in front of what he assumed to be 'the machine'. The 'machine' appeared to be a small two-by-two foot block of metal with numerous buttons and controls on the front of it and lines of green on the other sides. Perched on the top was a small disc with an antenna sticking out of it, aimed towards ceiling.

'_Is __that kooky dish thing the 'satellite dish' Tucker was talking about?' _Sydney thought before he shook his head.

No, never mind it didn't matter right now. He could think about that later when they defeated Technus and had rescued Danny. To do that though, he needed to destroy the machine that was before him. _'Alright...' _Sidney thought as he refocused on the machine and pulled out a single piece of paper from the remains of the prinny doll. '_There isn't that much... but it should due.'_

Sidney then charged the single piece of paper with a good amount of his remaining energy. Sidney's ghostly Reiryoku quickly changed the properties of the paper, making it sharper then any blade. With the paper-blade in hand, Sidney faced the machine and raised his hand so that it was next to his left ear. There was a long moment of silence before Sidney swung his arm. The machine was cut in half before each half exploded in green fire.

"Now that that kooky thing is gone hopefully the guards will be freed." Sidney muttered before he placed the single sheet of paper into his pocket. He quickly passed the downed guards as their suits started to dissolve and the circuitry underneath their skin vanished. Not that Sidney noticed, so focused was he on his next task. "It's time to find Danny."

XXXXXX

(With Sam)

As soon as Sam had found that stupid machine in the room, hidden in a bin of mulched plants, Sam had taken her new sword to it. It was a great way to get some of her pent-up aggression out and strike a chink in Technus' plan. The Ghost would probably panic and start sweating as he lost control over his minions.

Served the jerk right.

After she had cut the machine into itty bitty, sparking bits, Sam turned on her heel and left. On the way out though, she picked up a few corn stalks in the unmulched plant bin. Hey, those things were useful, especially now with her new power. To think that her once useless ability of calling the ribbons would actually turn out to something useful. That, however, also brought up the question of what she was going to call it and her new armor.

No. There was no time to be thinking of names right now. She had to find and regroup with Tucker and Sidney and then go kick Technus' but. They would show him why kidnapping their friend, especially Danny, was a very bad idea. An _extremely_ bad idea. _'Just hold on a little longer, Danny; we're coming.'_

XXXXXX

(With Tucker)

Tucker slammed both of his armored fists down on the machine in front of him, making it buckle inwards. He raised his arms and linked his hands before repeating the procedure over and over again, creating a deep hole in the machine as pieces of it scattered into the air. The green glow of the circuitry died when Tucker hit it again, the machine now resembled a lopsided block of metal.

"I'll make you pay for making me destroy technology, Technus." Tucker muttered as he walked away from the broken machine. His eyes narrowed as he thought about all the advance technology that he was forced to break, "And then I'll hurt you even more for kidnapping Danny and using your mind-controlled minions to try and kill us."

XXXXXX

(With Technus)

"Oh, those brats think they are so clever..." Technus sneered as he watched the three brats travel down 'his' hallways on the monitor's screen. According to the schematics of the building all three of them would soon come to an intersection and meet up before coming for him. "Thinking that I would be so easily defeated! Hah!"

While they may have defeated his guards, destroyed his machines, and freed the Humans under his control, they had yet to face him. He would let them come to his lab and crush them as they tried to save their friend. It would be easy for a Ghost of his caliber to do so, especially when those brats had been weakened by his former guards.

"It goes to show you... if you want something destroyed right, then you have to destroy it yourself."

With that rather ominous saying, Technus turned away from the monitors and floated away. He would need to prepare himself for the arrival of the three brats as a true Master of all Science and Technology would. By making battle plans and maybe visualizing what he would say; perhaps he would rub it in their faces when their friend died.

XXXXXX

Right now, Sam could be found running down a hallway, making sure to not step on the unconscious bodies on the floor. _'I wonder how Sidney and Tucker are_ _doing...?_' She thought as she turned around another corner._ 'They should be okay, considering that Sidney is a good paper-manipulator and Tucker has gotten good with his Muay Thai.'_

Sam stopped near the end of the four hallway junction at the end of the hallway. There were three other hallways that she could take but she had no way of knowing which one was the correct one. All of a sudden Sam paused as she thought she heard something coming from one of the hallways. Sam then pressed herself against the wall, just in case what ever was coming wasn't friendly. With a minor application of her dwindling spiritual energy, her new sword buzzed to life, though quietly enough that person approaching her location wouldn't notice.

After she had hacked that machine apart, she had noticed that all of the guards in the hallways had collapsed, and looking like their regular selves again. It was cool, as she didn't have to deal with them, so it seemed that Tucker's plan, loath as she was to admit it, was working. But that begged the question of who, exactly, was coming towards her. Could it be another squad of those 'Super Guards' she had dealt with back in the room? It wasn't that likely, as she had seen the 'Super Guards' she had dealt become free like the other guards that were scattered about the hallways. Maybe it was a Ghost? She knew that Technus' goons had picked up that clownish Ghost—Peten—so who was to say Technus didn't have more Ghosts?

Either way, time had run out. Sam launched forwards from her hiding space as a dark figure rushed past, sending her sword in an arc towards its head. The figure seemed to sense her and ducked before it used one armored arm to block her sword, sending sparks flying from the weapons as the resulting 'clang' died out. Sam's eyes widened at the same time as the figure's did.

"Sam?"

"Tucker?"

Sam withdrew her sword, the electricity that ran up and down the blade dying down, and then stepped away at the same time as Tucker did. There was a short, awkward, silence between them as both of them tried to figure out what to say. Sam, however, felt the most guilty as she had almost cut off Tucker's head.

"So..." Tucker began as he glanced at the silver-gold armor over Sam's guard clothes. "I see that you unlocked a power too."

Sam gave a faint nod, "Danny both said that we had the same teal flames and we have the same colored ribbons, so I thought I could do the same thing as you did." She gestured to the armor. "As you can see, it worked."

"Yeah." Tucker agreed as he looked at Sam's new armor.

"So what are you cats talking about?"

At the sound, both Sam and Tucker jumped in surprise. They then whirled around—Sam's sword sparking to life as she began to channel energy through it again while Tucker brought up Data Crusher defensively—only to see Sidney floating there. At first they almost didn't recognize him, as he was out of the prinny suit and was _in-color_, but they did eventually. That was good as Sam didn't want to almost-kill another friend again.

"Whoa! Don't get too hasty, cats!" Sidney said, holding his palms up. "I'm not an enemy!"

Tucker gaped as Sam's sword died down, "Dude... what happened to you? You're in color!"

"And not in my prinny anymore." Sam added as she lowered her sword towards the ground. A second later, her eyes narrowed as a stray thought suddenly hit her. "Wait. If you're out of my prinny, then _where_ is my prinny?"

Sidney grew paler at Sam's question about the prinny. He knew that Sam would be really upset when he told her what had happened to it, as he had promised to take care of it. She would be angrier, though, if he waited to tell her about it or lied to her.

"Well..." Sidney said as he slowly withdrew the ruined prinny plushy, "I got to the place Tucker told me to go to and I faced off against these kooky guys with guns... It went back and forth a little until one of those cats threw something at me and everything exploded..." Sam hadn't taken her eyes off the plushy. "I managed to go intangible before the blast hit me and saved most of the prinny..."

Sam clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and breathed out through her nose. In her right hand, her sword sparked dangerously, making Tucker and Sidney afraid that she would use it, only for it to die down after a couple moments. Then, after releasing a deep breath, she locked eyes with Sidney. "We don't have time for me to start yelling at you, but I will yell at you as soon as we've rescued Danny."

"A-Alright." Sidney nodded fearfully.

"Good." Sam nodded before she turned on her heel, "C'mon, then. We have some techy Ghost but to kick back to the Stone Age."

Nodding as one, the three friends began running—or flying, in Sidney's case—down the hallway to the left. Sam, now grasping Danny's black ribbon in her left hand, led the way. They had dealt with the machines and Technus' goons, so it was now time to kick Technus' butt and save Danny.

XXXXXX

(A few minutes later—Axion Labs)

"They're not that far from us now, guys." Sam stated as she, Tucker, and Sidney ran, or flew, down a hallway, black ribbon in hand. "The place they're in should be around the corner..."

Tucker and Sidney nodded at Sam's statement, "Right."

As one, the group turned around the next corner and towards a heavy metal door at the end of the small corridor. Once they were in front of the door Sam dropped Danny's ribbon and then re-gripped her sword before she swung the electricity-infused blade at the door that was separating her from Danny. Her sword cut through it like a hot knife through butter, slashing it into identical halves that two fists of paper then knocked inwards.

Before the flying door halves could go far, they collided with a wall of green Reiryoku that protected the center of the lab. The halves then fell to the ground, earning a loud 'boom' as they thudded onto the ground. Once the commotion from the doors settled down, Sam, Sidney, and Tucker ran into the room and got their first glimpse of Technus.

Technus was a green-skinned Ghost with a large forehead, a shock of gravity-defying white hair, and black sunglasses. He was wearing a white shirt, a black tie, green gloves, and a long gray trench-coat that flared at the ends. And, unlike Sidney, he didn't have any legs.

"So you finally have arrived here _children_?" Technus asked with a sneer.

Sam could feel her temper flare to new heights at what she saw in the lab. Sam's temper didn't flare at Technus' words but at the sight of Danny. Her friend was ensnared within some sort of pod by hundreds of small wires. Danny looked even paler then before, his skin now resembled the same shade as bones. The cables attached to the side of the pod were fluctuating with the color of Danny's spiritual energy, which was being sent into one of the two containers on either side of the pod.

It was quite easy for her to figure just what was going on. "_You're using Danny as a_ _battery?!_"

"I didn't think it would be quite so obvious to one such as you but, yes, yes I am." Technus responded as if he was talking about the weather. "So, would you three be so kind as to leave? Le Piratage Vert (Green Piracy)."

Before Sam, Sidney, or Tucker could react the computer to in the room started to come alive. Wires burst from the backs of the computer screens, twisting and contorting to form arms and legs. The computers then tore themselves from the walls and leapt at the stunned teens. Sidney unleashed a small wave of paper at the computers, sending them hurtling back towards Technus. "Go! I'll distract this cat!"

"You think I'm stupid—?!" Technus roared as he phased through the computers, only for Sidney's Poing Juge to hit him squarely in the mouth. Small droplets of liquid ectoplasm flew from his mouth as Technus soared backwards, spider-webbing the wall in which he crashed into. Once Technus pulled himself from the wall, the rage in his eyes intensified. "You little brat!"

Before Technus could unleash his fury upon Sidney, he noticed that Sam and Tucker were almost at Danny's pod. Not wanting them to free their friend, Technus raised a glowing hand towards the ceiling above the two teenagers. Sam and Tucker were only ten feet away from the pod when the ceiling burst open and hundreds of metallic wires shot down in an attempt to ensnare them. Surprised at the sudden attack, the first few wires managed to grab them, but didn't last long as the two Humans began their counterattack. Sam used her sword to cut the wires while Tucker ripped them off himself with his uninjured arm.

Sam and Tucker were only ten feet away from the pod when the ceiling burst open and hundreds of metallic wires shot down in an attempt to ensnare them. Surprised at the sudden attack, the first few wires did managed to grab them, but didn't last long as the two Humans began their counterattack. Sam used her sword to cut the wires while Tucker ripped them off himself with his uninjured arm.

By the time that Tucker and Sam had managed to escape from the wires, Technus had recovered. He phased through Sidney's Poing Juge before becoming tangible again and throwing a couple of computer chips towards Sam and Tucker. The computer chips hit the ground in front of the two Humans and exploded into hundreds more. The chips then swarmed around Sam and Tucker, unnatural cutting edges gleaming in the light.

Seeing that the Humans were distracted, Technus turned and ducked the left fist of Sidney's Poing Juge. Angry now, he aimed an ectoblast at Sidney and fired. Sidney was blasted back by the attack that managed to burn a hole through his hastily mad e shield.

This time, he was the one to crash into the wall and cough up liquid ectoplasm, while Technus gloated. "How do you like that, little Ghost? I have mastered all the basic powers that being a Ghost grants and my Compétence des sciences is unbeatable! You should just—"

Technus' 'vortex' of computer chips was suddenly blown apart from the inside with a crackle of electricity. Sam, holding her still crackling blade, and Tucker, holding up Data Crusher defensively, looked a little worse for wear, with all the small scratches and lacerations. They, however, only appeared more angry and determined because of it.

"Stop making me hurt technology!" Tucker roared as he launched himself up at Technus, preparing to deliver a fierce elbow jab in the Ghost's face. It was what Technus deserved, for making him hurt technology and for hurting his friends.

Technus frowned, "Fool." He then went intangible and simply allowed Tucker to pass through his body. Once Tucker was all the way through, he sneered. "You think that such an obvious attack would work? You must be stupider than I thought you were."

"Papier Typhoon (Paper Typhoon)!"

_'This is the technique that he used to finally defeat my guards...'_ Technus thought as he was consumed within a vortex of white paper._ 'Judging by the number of pieces of paper present, he must be getting tired... he must realize that as well and is getting desperate.'_

While Technus gathered his Reiryoku, Sam was running towards the pod. She reached it just as Technus released an enormous 'pulse' of Reiryoku that blew away Sidney's technique and knocked her off her feet. Sam grit her teeth and got up, preparing to swing her sword at the pod and destroy it.

"NO!"

Right before Sam would've sliced into the pod, she was blasted back by an overpowered ectoblast from Techus. Her sword was ripped from her hand and then sent flying, high into the air. Tucker and Sidney cried out in alarm as Sam was then sent hurtling backwards, blood flying from her opened mouth. An instant later, Tucker rushed towards Technus while Sidney released a literal wave of paper towards the other Ghost.

No one noticed that Sam's sword, knocked out of her hand by the ectoblast, stopped climbing into the air. Nor did they notice it as it began to fall gravity pulled the foolish, airborne sword back down to earth.

"I have had _enough_!" Technus roared as he pulsed his Reiryoku once more, dispersing Sidney's paper. He then swat Tucker away with his hand like his was an insignificant gnat. "I will not allow you _cretins_ to interfere any longer! Le piratage—"

For the third time, Technus was interrupted. This time, however, it was not due to an attack. It was due to the sight of Sam's sword piercing through Danny's pod, only a couple inches away from Danny's forehead. The remaining electricity coursed through the metal, shocking Danny as well as causing the wires holding him down to grow limp.

It was only a couple seconds later before the worse thing, to Technus, happened. The damaged pod caused an electrical discharge that, fueled by Danny's Reiryoku, practically soared into the two containers on the side of it. There was a moment as the two unseen Hollows howled as the electricity before they began to thrash within it. They broke free without a second to spare and, wounded and angry and scared, they vanished within two flashes of black light.

Technus screamed incoherently.

Sam and Tucker tried to get up, but Technus was faster. He sent two overpowered ectoblasts that hit them both in the chests and knocked them backwards, blood squirting out from their opened mouths. He then unleashed his Reiryoku, bringing the two Humans down where even more blood escaped their mouths. Sidney was caught up within the wave as well, which forced him to the floor and locked him in place.

Throughout all of this, Technus was screaming with anger. How dare—how dare these moronic cretins ruin his plans?! How _dare_ they stop him from getting his family back! How would he find his family _now_? How could he save his family now?! He would make them all _pay_ for this!

"_I'll kill you for this!_ I'll _kill_ you all!" Technus screamed as he pulsed his Reiryoku again, causing Sam and Tucker to begin choking. "_I'll kill you!"_

Danny's eyes snapped open. Technus, however, didn't notice this, as he was more focused on preparing an ectoblast that would kill one of the brats. Sure, he could've simply increased the pressure his Reiatsu was bringing down on them and kill them that way but wanted them to _suffer_. Make them realize the enormity of their mistake and beg for mercy before killing them as painfully as—

The sound of a fist colliding against something rang throughout the room. In an instant, Technus lost focus and, subsequently, lost enough control over his Reiatsu for it to dissipate. This allowed the three formerly paralyzed and choking beings to take deep, relief-filled breaths. They then looked upwards to see that their savior was a ruffled-looking Danny who was engaging Technus in a fist fight.

"No one is going to hurt my friends as long as I am around." Danny said as he ducked underneath a punch from Technus and then leapt a couple feet backward. His eyes narrowed, "_Especially_ a guy like you." His right hand moved to remove his Zanpakutō from his sash, which Technus noticed.

"You intend to duel me with a sword, Arrancar? How utterly foolish of you."

Danny didn't say anything for a moment. Instead, he moved his Zanpakutō so that it was over his chest before he grabbed the remaining, exposed hilt with his other hand. _'I hope this works, Leviatán.'_ He thought before taking a deep breath. "I don't intend to."

_"It will work, Danny. Trust me."_

While he wanted to mention that he didn't trust Leviatán completely, Danny refrained. Leviatán had been honest with him so far, telling him that it was his own fears that had caused his nightmares. It had been hard to accept that, as well as associate the subject of his nightmares with somebody that actually wanted to help, but he had no other choice. He knew that he probably couldn't beat Technus on his own right now, not with how exhausted he was, so he had to trust Leviatán.

"What are you doing?" Technus demanded.

Danny took another breath and then, finally spoke in a low, whispery voice, "Que Nadie Os Juzgue... Leviatán (Let no one be you judge... Leviathan)."

_'A release command?!'_ Technus thought in panic. No, it wasn't possible! The Arrancar was suppose to not have even the most basic knowledge of what he could do; he shouldn't know how to release! But from the feeling Danny's build-up of energy that said, yes, the Arrancar was seconds from releasing. He needed to stop Danny soon, or else he might lose.

"... Danny?" Sam muttered as she stared at her friend's form.

Without warning, Technus unleashed two powerful ectoblasts from his hands and towards the Arrancar. All he had to do to prevent the Arrancar from releasing his sword was to knock him out. There was no other choice right now. He knew that if Danny released his suppressed power then the young Arrancar could become more powerful than him.

There was a _reason_ that Ghosts feared Hollows and Arrancar, if they knew they existed, after all.

Danny's Zanpakutō glowed a pale, ice blue for a few short moments before the area around himself was consumed by an explosion of pure power. Technus' ectoblasts proved to be ineffective against Danny's surge of power and were merely absorbed into the explosion. Technus was too late to stop Danny from releasing his zanpaktou. A few seconds later, everyone in the room felt an immense pressure fall onto their backs. For Sam, Sidney, and Tucker the energy felt cool, yet comforting like the ebbing flow of a river.

"What... What is this?" Sam said with no small amount of wonder in her voice. It felt like Danny's energy was gently flowing around her. It felt cool and secure. Most importantly, though, it reminded her of Danny.

Sidney shoved out some of his own Reiryoku out in an attempt to lessen the effect of Danny's Reiatsu. "It's spiritual pressure!" And a lot of it, too. It brought Sidney back to when he had gotten into the Human World before and that Arrancar had attacked him. His eyes widened. "Danny's releasing!"

"What does that mean?!"

"I told you about that other Arrancar I fought, right? Well, he did something similar to what Danny is doing now; he released and assumed a different form!" Sidney answered as best as he could. "I don't know the specifics of it, but when that guy released, he gained a _lot_ of power!"

What, thought Tucker and Sam. Both were aware that their friend was more powerful than them. Hurting him during their training sessions in the junkyard had been difficult because of Danny's steel-like skin, the speed he could achieve, and the fact that he could literally _walk on air_. Not to mention the fact that he had a sonar-like technique to find out where they were and three _really_ destructive techniques: Cero, Cero en Espiral, and Cero Lanzas.

But, if what Sidney sad was true, then 'releasing' would give Danny a lot more power. This made them wonder how powerful Danny could become and getting 'front-row' seats to finding out. And not being able to move because of the pressure on them, it was all they could do.

Technus, struggling against Danny's Reiatsu, managed to get back into the air and was floating again. "You shouldn't be able to do this!" He shouted towards at Danny, absently noting that the explosion was beginning to die down. "You didn't have access to your release before, so how could you have gotten it now?!"

The only answer to Technus's question was but another pulse of Reiryoku that forced the Ghost to his non-existent knees. A second later, the Reiryoku that had been burning with such intensity dissipated. The bright light of Danny's Reiryoku was then cut off, allowing everyone in the room to turn their heads to see Danny standing in mid-air amongst the rapidly disappearing smoke.

Gone was Danny's traditional white Arrancar outfit, replaced by a completely different set of clothes. He now seemed to be wearing a black leather jacket that had bone-like spikes running down the sleeves with long coat-tails that ended at the back of his legs. On the back of Danny's coat, a pair of flapping bat wings were sewed into the coat; the wings seemed so life like that the wings looked as if they could start moving at any moment. To finish off his new look, Danny had numerous smoke-colored bandages winding around his chest and arms.

The changes to Danny were not limited to his clothes, though. His ever-present choker had merged with Danny's skin and had expanded to cover his entire neck and the bottom of his jaws with black scales. His pupils had remained a brilliant green color but they were now slitted, like a cat's or a reptiles. He also had black scales running up and down his legs, resembling formfitting black pants. And sticking out from his exposed toes on his sandles were razor-sharp talons.

Danny raised his right hand, which was now sporting a set of wicked looking claws, and brought it to his face, as if to examine it. He smiled at what he saw, showing off his slightly pointed teeth, before he turned he turned his attention back to Technus. "You know what Technus... I should thank you."

Here, everyone looked confused as to what Danny could mean but, before they could question him about it, Danny started talking again. "If you hadn't stuck me in that machine, I would've continued to deny what I am. I would never have met Leviatán and unlocked my Resurrección..."

"It doesn't matter if you've unlocked your release, Arrancar." Technus spat as he floated back to a pile of scrap metal. "You still don't know how to use it!" The former arrogance slowly began to return to him as he realized that even if Danny had released, he didn't know how to use his new abilities. "And without any experience, you won't last long against me, Technus, Lord and Master of all Science and Technology!"

"Wow, you sure think highly of yourself." Danny deadpanned as he stared into Technus' eyes. He then dropped to the floor, just as a barrage of computer chips flew through where his head had been. Danny then made use of his Chōkasoku to dodge to the left, only to grow surprised when he vanished and then reappeared exactly where he had wanted to go. There was an accompanying 'buzz' of sound as he exited his speed technique which only further confused him, as Chōkasoku didn't come with or _make _sounds.

Danny didn't have much time to ponder this new development as Technus' chips zoomed towards him again. Again he tried using Chōkasoku, only to reappear where he had intended to go with another buzz. _'Now I'm getting annoyed. What's going on here?'_

Technus snarled at how easily the Arrancar was dodging his attacks, "I don't think highly of myself! I really _am_ the Master of Technology! Let me prove it to you, Arrancar! La croissance des Gadgets (Growth of Gadgets)!"

While in mid-flight towards Danny, Technus' chips suddenly glowed an eerie green color before they suddenly exploded into the size of miniature refrigerators. Danny's eyes widened at the sudden transformation before he 'buzzed' to the right, avoiding a chip that impaled the ground he had been standing on moments ago. Technus really _was_ trying to kill him, it seemed.

Not that he didn't already know that, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

"I already know how twisted you are!" Danny replied as buzzed to another location, bringing forth his right hand as ice-blue energy starting gathering in it. "So... thanks but no thanks! Cero!"

What ripped its way out of Danny's hand was the same color as Danny's ordinary Cero, but much larger. In fact, it could appear as if this Cero was made out of three of Danny's ordinary Ceros, which surprised everyone present. The most surprised, though, was Technus as he watched the Cero vaporize his computer chips and then rocket towards him.

Technus quickly created a layered green shield with various circuit-like markings on them in front of himself. At the same time, he also levitated several bits of technology around him and enlarged them for additional protection. It was a couple seconds later when Danny's Cero collided with Technus' hastily made fortifications, causing a small explosion.

"That..." Technus' voice could be heard through the smoke, pained and tired. "... attack exceeded my predictions... on its strength."

It was obvious even before Technus floated out of the dissipating smoke that he was injured. It was not, however, that obvious as to how injured Technus was. Technus' hair and parts of his skin were singed, his glasses were broken, and his lab coat with blackened in numerous places. He also had thin trails of liquid ectoplasm leaking from wounds on his head, his right arm, and dripping to the floor from the bottom of his lab coat.

_'He looks horrible.'_

Technus' red eyes glared at Danny from beneath his ruined glasses, "But just because you are more powerful... It does not mean that you will be able to defeat me! _I am Technus, Lord and Master of all Science and Technology, and I will not be beaten by the likes of _you!" His gloves, burnt and peeling off his hands, gained a sinister green glow as he raised them to chest-level. "Numérique Armée (Digital Army)!"

Every bit of technology still within the room gained a green glow and groaned as they assumed golem-like forms in all shapes and sizes. Some of the golems stood at a towering seven feet while others stood at a mere three feet, all of them looking ahead with glazed, pale green eyes. Bits of technology too small to form into proper golems twisted into the shapes of lances, swords, and shields to match the sizes of the golems.

Off to the side, Tucker almost fainted as Data Crusher drained the last of his spiritual energy and morphed back into his PDA. The same thing happened to Sam except her armor transformed back into her locket, whole and undamaged once more. Sidney, having exhausted his own Reiryoku, sat with his back against a wall with a fatigued expression on his face.

Having watched Technus create this army, each of them were notably concerned and frightened on Danny's behalf. They had no idea how powerful those golems were, but, judging by Technus' expression, they would have to be pretty strong. He was sending these things in after Danny after seeing his released Cero, so he must've believed that his army could stand up to it. What was Danny going to do?

Danny himself was feeling a little apprehensive but felt Leviatán's presence come to the front of his mind and seem to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. _"You can defeat these things, Danny. Let me show you how..."_

"Attack!" Technus roared.

In an instant, all of Tehnus' golems stood at attention before they launched themselves at Danny. At the same time, Danny followed Leviatán's instructions and began to gather his Reiryoku in his hand. He expelled it from his hand and formed a vaguely sword-like shell that his Reiryoku quickly filled in. So, by the time that the first golems got within five feet of him, Danny was holding a flickering, ice blue sword of pure Reiryoku.

_"Let's show him our power, Danny." _Leviatán whispered into Danny's ear.

Danny nodded once and gripped his 'sword' tighter before the horde was upon him. With a move so quick, Danny lashed out with his sword and cut down the five golems closest to him. Even as they began to fall apart, they started to regenerate as their comrades climbed or jumped over them. Danny buzzed out of the way and watched as the golem's tore into the spot he had been, with their weapons impaling the spot his stomach had been.

"Do you think it'll be that easy, Arrancar?" Technus sneered.

The sneer fell from Technus' face when the golems the Arrancar had cut down were suddenly engulfed in ice. The golems that had climbed over them had their feet or hands frozen, immobilizing them as the ice slowly began to spread onto them as well. How had the Arrancar done that?! He hadn't detected any pulse of Reiryoku to signify a technique! His eyes widened as he realized his error.

He had sensed a brief pulse when the Arrancar had first cut down those five golems.

"Natoescarcha (Frostborn)." Danny announced as he pointed his sword towards the ground. "It's a technique told me about." He buzzed to the right to golem's lance. "It allows me to send a shard of my Reiryoku into an enemy when I cut him or her. When I pulse my Reiryoku it causes that shard to start freezing the enemy from the inside out..."

It was a pretty cool technique, Danny had to admit. That didn't mean, though, that he didn't think it was a bit creepy. If the positions were reversed, he would probably be scared out of his skin. He would also try to run like hell or, if that wasn't an option, make sure that the enemy didn't get a single hit on him.

Danny ducked just in time to avoid the lance that was aimed at the back of his head. He, however, wasn't able to dodge as the golem holding the lance regripped it and sent the tip towards his back. There was the sound of metal screeching on metal as the lance tried to pierce Danny's skin. Still, after a couple of seconds, it became obvious to Danny that neither the lance nor the golem had the strength to cut through his skin.

Moments later, Danny brought up his sword and cut through the torso of the golem. Ice began to spread from the cut as Danny pulsed his Reiryoku and buzzed away as the golem attempted one last attack before it completely froze. He came to an area filled with golems, causing his eyes to widen, before he buzzed away. Even if their weapons didn't seem to be able to pierce his skin, he had no desire to test that theory.

"Get him!" Technus ordered, angry.

Danny buzzed into the middle of the group of golems that had attempted to stab them and, as they slowly reacted to him, placed the flat of his sword against three golems. Ice slowly began to spread from the point where his sword made contact. Once the ice had covered their arms, he disengaged and ducked underneath a sword and spun on his heel to cut the remaining golems around him.

_'That is different than his 'Natoescarcha'.'_ Technus thought as he continued to observe. _'He explained Natoescarcha to be a technique where he cut into them with his sword and imparted some of his Reiryoku into them at the same time... This technique, however, seems to work based on contact: when he removed his sword, the ice stopped spreading.'_

A sword emitted a keening sound as it slid across Danny's skin to no avail. Danny spun around and lashed out against the golem responsible, creating a thin streak of ice in the path of his sword. He then backed up ad kicked the golem in the chest, right where the ice was, and watched as the golem was reduced to into numerous broken pieces.

_'I'm starting to get a little tired, Leviatán...' _Danny thought as he buzzed over to a pocket of golems that were going towards Sam, Tucker, and Sidney. He defeated them with a quick Natoescarcha which, afterwards, made him really notice his growing exhaustion. His sword flickered in his hand for a moment and then stilled.

_"You are not used to this sort of power yet and your body is still tired..." _Leviatán responded with an unseen frown. _"But... we have yet to reveal all of our tricks to Technus and his goons. Allow me to guide you and I will show you and teach you one last technique."_

"He's weakening! Get him!"

Danny took a deep breath as he felt Leviatán lend him the strength that was necessary for his next attack to succeed. As the horde approached him, Danny dispersed his sword and began to manipulate his Reiryoku in a different manner, creating a single glowing orb in the palm of his hand.

"Cadena de Invierno (Chain of Winter)!" Danny shouted as he gripped the orb of energy. This caused the gathering Reiryoku to surge outward from the palm of his hand as links of energy began to form from the extending orb. The orb now resembled a long chain of energy that coiled around Danny's arm.

Without warning, Danny tightened his hand on his end of the forming chain before he disappeared with a buzz. He reappeared a distance away with his chain now wrapped around all of Technus' golems. He then pulled the 'chain' tight, causing the golems' body to creak, as ice quickly began to spread across their bodies. With a flick of the wrist, he tightened the chain to its breaking point and severely _crushed _all of the captured golems.

"You... You little cretin!" Technus snarled before he surged towards Danny, unleashing a volley of ectoblasts at the Arrancar. At the moment, he was too angry to realize that what he was doing was a horrible mistake. He was too blinded by his own hatred, anger, and need for vengeance to listen to his own mind that was screaming for him to stop. "DIE!"

The chain within Danny's hand dispersed as Danny used his new speed technique to avoid Technus' ectoblasts. Swerving around in mid-air, Technus looked for the Arrancar with his bloodshot eyes. He soon found his quarry when it appeared to the right of him with a new chain in his grasp. Technus tried to strike at the Arrancar in front of him but before he could he found himself wrapped up in the energy chain. A second later, the Arrancar tightened his grip and his newly created chain wrapped around Technus' body.

"Freeze..." Was all Technus heard before his world went black.

XXXXXX

As the last of Technus' body finished freezing, Danny let out a relieved sigh and released his hold on his Reiryoku. His chain dispersed into millions of ice-blue orbs that then slowly faded from existence. Danny didn't notice that however as he was too busy dealing with a sudden sense of euphoria. He had beaten Technus. No, scratch that last thought; _they_ had beaten Technus.

"Danny...?"

Hearing his name, Danny turned around to face his friends. Once he had fully turned around Danny could now see the varying degrees of shock and wonder that was on his friends' faces as they looked at him. Danny then became concerned as he finally got a chance to really look at their wounded bodies. He took note on how beat up and exhausted all of them looked. And—wait, _what_? Sidney was in _color_ now? When did _that_ happen?

"Are you guys okay?" Danny asked as he walked over to his friends.

Sam frowned at him from her place on the ground, "You got yourself kidnapped and who-knows what else Technus did to you and you're wondering how _we're_ doing?" She weakly turned her hed over towards Tucker and Sidney, "I think he needs to reconsider his priorities." She then turned her attention back to Danny, "But thanks for the concern!"

"Yeah. A sprained arm and a little blood loss never hurt anyone." Tucker said before Danny could respond. Of course it did hurt, but he wasn't going to say that, as Sam might hurt him. "... The only thing I'm upset about is the fact that Technus made me destroy some technology and almost fried my PDA."

"Uh..." Danny said, trying to understand his friend's quick replies, and then shook his head. "How'd he almost fry your PDA?"

Tucker looked about to tell him but a glance from Sam shut him up, "I'll tell you later..."

"What we should be doing is figuring out what to do with these robots and Sir. Techy Frozo over there." Sam said, gesturing to said things with a jerk of her head. "We can't just leave them here... especially with all the people unconscious in the halls... It'll create a Ghost-Hunting frenzy..."

It need not be said that such a frenzy would be bad for Danny and his friends. Ghost Hunters from all over the country would come to Amity Park and would probably do horrible, unmentionable things to Technus and any other ghost that they could find. Even if they hated the techy Ghost, none of them wanted his capture, dissection, and who knows what else on their consciousnesses. Merely beating him up and preventing him from doing something similar was all they really wanted.

The question was: how would they do it? An unfortunate aspect of Danny's new ice techniques were that Technus, his minions, and a sizable area of the floor **was **frozen **solid**. It would take a miracle to get all of that out of there before the regular people woke up and sounded the alarms. So, how? How would they do it?

Four pairs of eyes began to glance around the room, looking for an answer to that question. Several impossible ideas were formed before dismissed as the half-baked plans they were. Then came another round of ideas, these ones more sensible, but still flawed in their own ways. The group as a whole denied them as they had the first slew of questions.

"Is that...?" Sam began, now having assumed a sitting position, squinting her eyes. "... the thermos?"

In an instant, Danny, Sidney and Tucker's eyes turned to where Sam was looking at. In a remarkably undestroyed corner of the laboratory stood the Fenton Thermos, on top of the room's half-destroyed supercomputer's control panel. How it got there was pretty obvious, when one thought about it. Technus' goons had probably given it to the techy Ghost when they brought Danny in.

"That's really... convenient." Tucker deadpanned.

"Maybe the universe is trying to apologize for what we've had to go through." Sam countered. A couple seconds later and each one of them burst out laughing at such an idea. Sam smiled, "Yeah, like that'll happen..."

"Still... it's very convenient." Danny said as he buzzed over to the area the Fenton Thermos was and picked it up. _'Why do feel like I'm forgetting something?' _He tilted his hand and grabbed the lid and removed it with a small twist. Green light shone from within, "Wha—?!"

"Ooh! Peten thanks you _white-hair!_ Yes, yes, yes!" Peten cheered as soon as the Fenton Thermos had released him, doing a little jig in the air. "You beat goggles and made Peten free! Free to have lots more _fun_!"

It was Peten?! When had he been sucked into the thermos? Oh, yeah. He had attacked the school earlier that day—or was it yesterday now?—and Danny had defeated him. After that, Danny had been kidnapped and the thermos had been taken. It seemed that they had forgotten about the attack during the situation with Technus.

"Lookie, lookie! White Hair and friends for Peten to _play_ with!" Peten giggled insanely.

Danny took a step forward, "You don't want to do that Peten."

"Why would Peten _not_ want to play with White Hair and his friends?" Peten asked with a confused expression. "You are a great person to play with White Hair! And your friends look fun to play with too!" He somersaulted mid-air, coming face-to-face with Danny. "Do why does White Hair not want to _play_?"

"Because..." Danny said as he released some Reiryoku into the air, making it tense and heavy. "I don't have time to play right now, Peten..."

Peten started to sweat lightly from the pressure, "On second thought, Peten has decided not to play with you today, White Hair!" He said with only the slightest of waver in his voice, "Yes! For freeing Peten, Peten will find someone else to play with."

Before anyone could protest Peten's words, Peten disappeared with the sound of someone sitting on a whoppie cushion. Everyone just stared at where Peten had been for a moment, before they let out a sigh of relief. They could deal with the clownish, 'fun'-loving Ghost later but for now they had other problems to take care of right now.

Such as the fact that Danny's body was beginning to crack. Fragments of skin, small bits of his claws, and slivers of clothing soon floated into the air. All of these objects transformed into silver ash that flowed around Danny in a _very_ familiar vortex. It relieved those watching Danny into not shouting out his name, concerned with what they thought was happening to him. He was probably going back into his Human form or, at least, his normal Arrancar form. It was only a couple moments later when Sam, Sidney, and Tucker got to see that Danny had turned into his standard Arrancar form. As soon as the vortex left him, Danny's shoulders slumped and he began to pant a little bit.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

Danny gave a reassuring grin to his friends, "No worries, guys... I just didn't realize that using Leviatán would take so much energy..." Not willing to take any questions, Danny turned slightly and aimed the thermos at the frozen ice block that was Technus. "In you go."

The inside of the Fenton Thermos glowed green before it shot out a beam that connected with ice around Technus. It slowly ripped the ice from the floor and drew it, and Technus, into it. Fenton Thermos still going, Danny turned around and began sucking in Technus' golems and the ice that bound them. It was kind of fun, really. Almost like using a vacuum cleaner.

"I didn't know that the Fenton Thermos could do _that_." Tucker stated as Danny sucked up a whole group of frozen golems.

A tired grin appeared on Danny's face, "Me neither. Mom and Dad designed it to suck in Ghosts. When they explained it to me, I got lost after the first two sentences... But I think this proves that it sucks in anything with spiritual energy that it is pointed at." After the last of the ice and golems were sucked in, his capped it. "... It did seem a little slower, though."

"Maybe because that ice of yours isn't made of Ghost-ly spiritual energy?" Tucker said.

Danny shrugged, "That could be it..."

"Can we please not talk about that right now and just be thankful that it worked?!" Sam demanded with an irritated air about her. Both boys flinched at her tone, causing her to grin slightly. Good. They should be afraid of her. Just wait until she could control her new abilities and was a master with her new sword. Then they would _really_ cower in their boots.

"Sorry, Sam..." Danny and Tucker said.

"Now, how are we going to get back home?" The boys looked at her as if she was speaking Gibberish. Her irritation returned full-force, "How are we suppose to get home? I can't walk and I doubt that you can either, Tucker... So how are we going to do it?"

* * *

><p>Omake: The H.M.E.T.:<p>

* * *

><p>For the first couple of days after the new branches had been created, Las Noches had been best described as chaotic. Each of the Arrancar within the fortress were examined and, if there powers were deemed useful, they were assigned to a certain branch. It was chaotic since the leaders were unprepared to deal with the sudden influx of people into their branches and what each person was supposed to do.<p>

As time passed, however, things calmed down as the Arrancar settled into their new branches and began to do things that they had been assigned to do. Arrancar going into the Medical and Poison branches of the army began to further their knowledge of Shinigami and Arrancar anatomy as well as how certain things would affect them. The Arrancar in the Science branch began to study under Dexter who, despite his attitude, instilled a thirst for science into much of his like-minded fellows.

In one branch, however, things weren't going quite as smoothly. The Huceo Mundo Exploration Team had been created by Dios Aizen to explore Huceo Mundo and map it while keeping an eye out for powerful Hollows that would help bolster their army.

The problems stemmed from the lower-ranked Arrancar that had been placed in the team. The majority of them couldn't see a viable reason why Dios Aizen would create such a useless branch when they could be training for the upcoming war. Soon, they were questioning their leader, Aaroniero Arruruerie, while secretly whispering behind his back; thinking Dios Aizen must've made him the leader because he was useless himself.

However, when Cirucci Sanderwicci, the team's deputy, heard these rumors, she was furious. She gave them a severe tongue-lashing, telling them that they severely underestimated Aaroniero and how their words could lead to their deaths. She would've killed them herself but Dios Aizen had forbidden it, saying that they needed all of the Arrancar they could for the war.

That, though, didn't stop Cirucci from making the team regret their words. For the very next day, she had convinced Aaroniero to fight them without releasing. The lower-ranked fools had thought that it would be so easy to defeat him and attacked. Twenty seconds after the beginning of the fight, the fight had ended, with Aaroniero standing without a scratch amidst a field of unconscious bodies.

So, it was to say that the Arrancar learned why Aaroniero was an Espada, and that he certainly wasn't useless. A repeated explanation of the team's purpose was pounded into the Arrancars' thick skulls, making them realize the truth. It was just in time, too, as the next day the Science division delivered new 'Sanders' to the team.

Dios Aizen, in his infinite wisdom, had known that it would take them to long to explore Huceo Mundo on foot. With this knowledge, he had set the Science branch on developing a transportation device that the army would be able to use to cover large distances quickly. Only a week after that order had been made, Dexter had designed, developed, tested, and delivered Sanders to the Huceo Mundo Exploration Team.

The Sanders were essentially long boats the color of bone with blue thrusters located at the back. In the middle of the boat, there was a dark-blue awning-like covering which held the controls for the Sanders as well as navigation and mapping equipment.

As the team could come into contact with hostile Hollows or natural Arrancar, the Sanders had been designed to allow an Arrancar to stand at both the front and back of them. This would allow them to release Balas, as Ceros would be too powerful and might tip the Sander, at an enemy, whether they attack from the front or back. Also, in case the 'Attack' Arrancar had been taken out, the navigator could activate a force field that would also send out a distress signal.

Right now, the H.M.E.T. could be found over 150 kilometers west of Las Noches, inside of a large cave. They had traveled past the point where the endless desert had slowly turning into outcroppings of quarts-like rock when they spotted a large mountain range in the distance. Deciding that the mountains would be a good place to start, Aaroinero ordered the speeders to move towards the mountain, which appeared to be honeycombed with caves. Once they were close enough the sensors on the Sanders detected a large grouping of Hollows inside of the mountain and all of them were 'powerful'.

With only minor grumbling from the other Arrancars, beside Cirucci, they disembarked from the Sanders and entered one of the cave entrances.

"I don't see why we're here..." An Arrancar grumbled.

"I know. I haven't seen any Hollows around, have you?" A female Arrancar asked. When the first Arrancar shook his head, she looked sourly over at the back of their leader, Aaroniero. "Is this just a wild goose chase or something?"

There was a sudden exclamation from the right, "Hey! These stalagmites and stalactites aren't made out of quartz!" An Arrancar with short, messy green hair and black eyes shouted, waving a piece of a broken, crystalline stalagmite in the air. "They're made out of Reishi!"

"So? Everything in Huceo Mundo is made out of Reishi—the desert, the quartz trees in the Forest of Menos, even the sky—so _of course _it would be made out of Reishi! It didn't take a _genius_ like those guys in the Science division to figure out _that!"_

The green-haired Arrancar apparently noticed the skepticism, for he produced the scanner that he had used to scan the stalagmite. "Look at this! These stalagmites and stalactites have enough Reishi in them to feed a Adjudas-class Hollow for a _year_! _Without them needing to eat anything else!_"

In an instant, Aaroinero was beside the Arrancar, taking the scanner out of his hands, and then running over the stalagmite shard. The Espada said nothing as he checked the other stalagmites and stalactites around with the scanner. However, when he did speak, it was full of emotions that none of them could comprehend.

"Form a small team of five. Break off a couple dozen and place them on the Sanders; we'll send a couple back to the Science division so that they can analyze them." Aaroniero said to the previously gossiping Arrancar before he turned. "The rest of you will follow me: we'll be going deeper into the caves and explore."

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

* * *

><p>1. <span>Compétence des sciences (Science Skill)<span>: Nicolai Technus' power. It essentially allows him to control all forms of technology and even allows him to replicate things with his Reiryoku that technology can do.

2. Que nadie os juzgue... Leviatán (Let no one be your judge, Leviathan): By saying this release command, Danny Fenton can unseal the majority of his sealed Arrancar powers and assume his true form. The transition between his standard Arrancar form and his true form is enveloped within an enormous explosion and the release of a tremendous amount of Reiryoku and Reiatsu.

3. La croissance des Gadgets (Growth of Gadgets): By using his Compétence des sciences, Technus has the ability to enlarge any piece of technology that it within 50 meters of himself. The size he can enlarge technology varies: for example, he can make computer chips as large as miniature refrigerators or as big as a two sliding-glass doors.

4. Numérique Armée (Digital Army): An upgraded version of Technus' Le piratage vert. Like Le piratage vert, it causes all of the technology within a specific area to mutate but, unlike it, it transforms the technology into golems. Technus can mix this in with his La croissne des Gadgets to create 'giant', human-sized golems. They are extremely durable but a sufficient force and are also capable of regenerating from most wounds dealt to them.

5. Natoescarcha (Frostborn): A technique that allows Danny to send a shard of my Reiryoku into an enemy when he cuts him or her. When he pulses his Reiryoku, it causes that shard to start freezing the enemy from the inside out. The ice that freezes the enemy will also spread to those that come into contact with it, though Danny is noticeably immune.

6. Cadena de Invierno (Chain of Winter): A technique that allows Danny to create a length of an ice-blue chain from the palm of his hand. When it is wrapped around someone, that person will begin to freeze as ice creeps from the point of contact. The length of this 'chain' has been shown to be dependent on how much Reiryoku Danny pours into, which makes it useful for taking out a large group of people or just one person.

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><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Well, that's the end of this chapter. I hope you guys liked it and will tell us how we did on it: comments, favorite parts, constructive criticism, etc. On the same note, I would like to ask you what you guys think of Danny's Resurrección, Leviatán, and the abilities it has displayed?

Also, on a completely different note, this chapter marks the end of the "Revealing of the Resurrección" and the "Defeat Technus/Rescue Danny" arcs. Tell us what you liked about them, what you disliked about them, how you would improve them, and what you would like to see in the future. It doesn't mean that it will happen, but your opinions will be taken into consideration.


	20. Chapter 20:

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Bleach.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."

_'Someone is thinking._'

"A technique is being used.

* * *

><p>Chapter 20:<p>

* * *

><p>A group composed of four figures was nearing Amity Park at speeds far outreaching what any human body was capable of. It was mainly because of their speed, too fast for the naked eye to catch, that they went unnoticed and unseen by the few people and cars travelling in and out of the city. The group itself seemed to have an excited, though serious, air about them which only increased as they passed a sign welcoming them within the bounds of the city. To think that this place was where their target had hidden all along.<p>

It was almost laughable, really, how inaccurate Szayel's readings had been. Still, without that Reiryoku tracking device Szayel had invented, they wouldn't have been able to track their target down. They also wouldn't have been able to figure out that their target had been in trouble and adjust their plans accordingly.

At the moment, the group was preparing for battle. While their target's Reiryoku had started to stabilize recently, it didn't mean that he/she wasn't still in danger. It could just mean that their target had managed to hide from whatever danger he/she was to recover his/her strength or have dealt with the danger and was now recovering. If the target was hiding from the danger, then they would help him/her deal with it. If not, then they could simply locate the target and talk to him/her about their mission's purpose.

Once they had explained their mission to their target, the group expected for their target to begin questioning them. Their target would ask questions such as why he/she should come with them, questions about why he/she should join Dios Aizen, and etc. The level of difficulty in getting the target to agree to come with them would depend on the target's personality and history in the human world.

The blonde haired leader of the group, named Tier Harribel, narrowed her eyes as her group passed through what seemed to be a barrier. _'That energy...'_ Tier thought as Apacci and Mila-Rose stumbled as they passed through the seeming barrier. _'Where have I felt that energy before?' _

That energy was far different from anything that Tier had ever experienced, which caused her eyes to narrow. She knew of how Shinigami, Hollow, and Arrancar Reiryoku felt... but this Reiryoku was far different from them. It caused her nostrils to flare while her skin tingled unpleasantly, feeling as though slime was being pulled across her skin.

"What the hell was that?!" Apacci demanded as the group stopped inside the barrier, glaring at the thing responsible for how _unclean_ she now felt. "It was disgusting!"

"It appears to be a barrier of some sort." Sung-Sun muttered from within her place in Mila-Rose's arms. Her eyebrows scrunched up in confused interest, "But what type of Reiryoku is it? It wasn't anything like our Reiryoku or anything like that of a Shinigami's Reiryoku..."

There came no response. For, seconds after Sung-Sun had finished speaking, something crash-landed against the ground 100 feet away from them. The impact formed a crater on impact that was obscured by the following, billowing cloud of white smoke and air-borne debris. Despite the distance between them, the debris scattered far enough that the four women had to cover their eyes, lest the debris get into and irritate their eyes.

As soon as the impact had occurred, each of the four women had tensed. Apacci was the only one to draw a weapon—two white, chakram-like weapons. It was due to the fact that Mila-Rose was holding Sung-Sun, and couldn't manifest her weapon, while Apacci knew Tier had no need of drawing it. As the Tereca Espada, Tier was powerful enough without it.

"You shall not pass."

The billowing smoke around the crater had cleared enough to reveal the man that was both responsible and inside of the crater. He was a short, wrinkly old man with thinning white hair and sunken-in brown eyes. He was wearing a series of brown, kimono-like robes over one another, a wide-brimmed straw hat, white obi, white tabi socks, and wooden geta. In the man's right hand was a staff with two rings attached to each side of it.

"Are you kidding me?" Apacci demanded with a scowl. "You think that an old man like you can stop all of us?!" The man's lack of response was very telling, which only infuriated Apacci even more. _'The nerve of this guy!'_ Her grip on her chakrams tightened as her eyes narrowed in anger. "You couldn't defeat _one_ of us!"

"Apacci,—" Tier began to say, a warning edge to her tone.

That "old man" was setting off alarm bells in her head. The way that the man was holding himself spoke of years of training in the martial arts and, try as she might, she could not find a flaw in his stance. Combining that with the high level of Reiryoku that the man had, the little knowledge they had of the man, and the barrier they had just passed through... this man was not to be underestimated.

"Don't worry, Dama Harribel. You need not soil your hands with him." Apacci stated as she slowly pulled back her chakrams. A few moments later, she threw both chakrams towards the old man at speeds which made the thorny edges of the weapons blur into twin white walls. "Pulsera Cuerno (Horn Bracelet)!"

Something changed in the old man's eyes. With expert swiftness, he brought forth his staff in the path of Apacci's chakrams seconds before they would have torn into him. Sparks formed as the weapons clashed with, though the man didn't seem too intimidated by the sudden assault. He did react, however, when he sensed a brief flare of Reiryoku from his side. He raised an eyebrow at the deception of the action but reacted in no way that belayed what he was thinking. He then quickly dropped to his knees, bringing his staff down with him just as a large broadsword passed through the area where his head had just been.

When Apacci had gone into battle, Mila-Rose had deposited Sung-Sun on the ground before materializing her weapon and joining the fray. She had thought that she could quickly end this farce of a battle by striking the old man with a surprise attack to his back. So, it was a great surprise to her when he dropped the ground and Apacci's chakrams, free of their former obstacle, raced towards her head.

"Watch it, Apacci!" Mila-Rose thought as blocked the chakrams with her broadsword.

Unfortunately this left her open to the old man follow up attack. He quickly lashed out with his right leg to sweep Mila-Rose off her feet and attempted to stab her with his staff while she was disoriented. The old man was forced to prematurely end his attack before it could land as Appaci appeared next to him and tried to slash him with her required chakram's. The old man effortlessly slid past Appaci's attack and planted his foot right into the disguised Arrancar's midsection. The force of the blow, while only enough to stun Appaci, did give the old man the proper footing to perform a back flip away from the two.

"You should be concentrating more on attacking me than fighting with your comrade." The old man stated as he landed.

Mila-Rose and Apacci shared murderous looks. At an unseen signal, Mila-Rose lunged to her feet and swung her broadsword at the man's midsection, only for him to block with a minute twirl of his staff. Sparks danced through the air as Mila-Rose disengaged before beginning a brutal series of crushing strikes, trying to get through the man's staff.

"I must admit, though, you are pretty skilled for someone so young..." The old man remarked as he twisted to the side so as to not become bisected by an overpowered swing. The old man bent low to the ground and gripped his staff with both hands dodged another two-handed strike from Mila-Rose. "You're blows are quite heavy and—" He vanished in a burst of speed, momentarily startling Mila-Rose before a heavy blow from behind sent her stumbling forward. She quickly readjusted her footing and blocked a secondary strike from the old man's staff with her broadsword. "—you have quick reflexes."

Mila-Rose hated to admit it, "You're not too bad yourself."

Spotting something in the corner of her eye that the old man hadn't noticed yet, Mila Rose regripped her weapon and poured all of her strength into her next swing. The old man leaped back from the attack with practiced ease but the smirk on his opponent's face alerted him of the danger that he was now in.

"Bala (Bullet)." "Cuerno Corte (Horn Cut)!"

While Mila-Rose was keeping the old man busy, her compatriots had been preparing their own attacks. Now, with the old man in mid-air and with no way to dodge, they let their attacks fly. From the left side of the man came a bullet-sized burst of pink Reiryoku while, from behind, Apacci appeared in a burst of Sonido with her chakram horn-like segments alight with her Reiryoku.

_'There's no way that he'll survive this!'_ The three Arrancar thought in unison.

Defying the three's expectations, the man vanished in a burst of Reiryoku-enhanced speed and out of the path of the two deadly attacks. Unfortunately his disappearance caused Mila-Rose to be straight in the path of the two attacks that were meant for him. Mila-Rose's eyes widened as Sung-Sun's Bala illuminated the area in a pink shroud of light. Blinded by the incoming attack, all she could do was attempt to Sonido away but she was still too slow to avoid getting some deep slashes from Apacci's attack.

Mila-Rose appeared a dozen feet away, holding her injured side, and was about to look around for the old man when she felt a fist impact with the small of her back._ 'What the—?'_ She thought as the air was knocked out of her lungs alongside the saliva within her mouth. Before she could even attempt to turn around and strike the infuriating old man she felt a sudden surge of foreign Reiryoku enter her Gigai as hundreds of lines of spidery script began to race across her body. '_What is he—?!'_

"Falsch Gehäusedichtung (False Body Seal)." The old man stated.

"Mila-Rose!"

Mila-Rose fell to the ground in pain, feeling as though she and her Gigai had just been set alight. She could not voice out her scream for her teammates to run, run away so that they could run and avoid whatever was happening to her. Nor could she voice the realization that they should have listened to Tier; this man was stronger than all of them. She could only cry out, "A-Apacci... Sung-Sun...!"

Slithery snakes made out of pink Reiryoku burst from the ground on either side of the old man with their mouths open to clamp down on his legs. It wasn't fast enough though, as the old man jumped up into the air to avoid the animated Reiryoku. While in mid-air the old man was forced to use his staff as a weapon once again as Apacci appeared before him and attempted to strike him with a rapid series of slashes from her chakrams.

Sparks bloomed off the edges of their weapons as dozens of strikes from Apacci's chakrams were parried by the blunt shaft of the old man's staff. "You bastard!" Apacci shouted as she continued to try and break through the man's guard as they fell towards the ground. "What did you do to Mila-Rose?!"

The old man's expression didn't change in the slightest, even when the ground was coming ever closer to them, "If you had used that other technique of yours, you could have, perhaps, ended me and avenged your comrade. No?" He vanished within another burst of Reiryoku-enhanced speed, appearing behind Apacci. "Then let me show you your foolishness." He slammed his staff into her back, causing her to lose the breath in her lungs seconds before they slammed into the ground.

Dust danced throughout the air, followed by muttered words and an alarmed shout. This was the prelude to a slight displacement of the air, more words, and another shout of pain. This time, however, it was also accompanied by the sound of a body falling onto the ground.

"Three down." The old man stated as he emerged from the dust cloud, unruffled. "One—"

A wide, golden cero ripped through the space where the old man's head had been only moments before. It was only his instinct that had him dodging the left, only to come sword-to-staff against a furious Tier Harribel. She gave him no warning, no explanation or reason; she simply attacked.

Ordinarily, Tier stood back unless she was forced to fight. She was content with watching two parties battle until the battle had reached its conclusion and refused to fight unless she was ordered to or if her Fracción were challenged. This could be seen in the current, on-going fight.

While having tried to warn her Fracción about the man, she had stood back and allowed them to fight. The man, though, had quickly proven his strength by deflecting her Fracción's attacks and luring them into his own, or repurposed, attacks. The final straw was when he had struck down her three Fracción. Despite her reservations about fighting, she would not stand for what happened.

In her anger, she had materialized Tiburón, like Apacci and Mila-Rose had materialized Cierva and Leona, and attacked. It did not matter if they were in Gigai or not; nothing could stop them from calling upon and receiving the aid from their bestial sides and "Inner Hollows". Nor could their Gigai completely hold back their power; the Gigai made it so that Soul Society couldn't detect them like they would if they weren't wearing the Gigai. They could still access their power and use all of their techniques.

Right now, though, Tier wasn't thinking about that. No, as she engaged the man in a rapid series of blows, slowly chipping away at the man's staff, she was haunted by the look on Mila-Rose's face. She was haunted by the screams she had heard from within the dust cloud as the man struck her other two Fracción down. Her attack was so quick and intense that she managed to make the old man start sweating, grip faltering as he attempted to keep up.

_"Do you understand, Tier? Can you see now?" _Tiburón whispered from within as the old man tried to flee, only for Tier to appear before him with Sonido. He barely got a chance to raise his staff, which keened miserably as Tiburón's Zanpakutō form clashed against it. _"Unlike us, those three "friends" of yours can't even stand up to a _Human_. They are weak. Useless. _Burdens_."_

_'Shut up.'_ Tier practically snarled as she used Sonido to appear behind the old man, aiming to slash him across the back. It was blocked by the man's staff as he hastily dodged. Seeing how unsteady his grip was, she pressed her advantage until, finally, she sliced through the staff and into the man's back.

For the first time, blood flew through the air. Even so, the old man, bleeding steadily from the back, refused to give up. He jumped forward in another burst of speed, noticeably slower, before he brought up both sections of his staff to block Tiburón's cutting edge. His eyes widened in mild alarm, though, when golden Reiryoku began to fill the hollow portion of the blade.

Cold teal-colored orbs gazed into panicked brown ones. Seconds later, a wide ribbon of golden energy was sent screaming forward as Tier's stored-up Reiryoku was released from Tiburón. The old man's body was quickly consumed within the attack, too fast for him to even try and scream.

Despite how it may have looked, Tier looked into the resulting smoke for any traces of the old man; however it may looked, he may still be alive. Besides a few specs of what she assumed to be burnt cloth floating about, alongside the smell of burnt flesh, there was nothing. Still, something seemed wrong. It was almost as if...

"My, my... it seems that your old age has rusted Sensei's skills." A slightly mocking voice called out once Tier's had faded and Tier had lowered Tiburón. The woman quickly turned around to see a masked man standing amidst a platform of floating sand. She gripped Tiburón's blade, only for him to wag a finger at her. "No, no, no... You wouldn't want anything to happen to them, would you?"

Tier then saw that, behind the masked man, were the bodies of her three Fracción. Each of their bodies were covered in a layer of sand that was also suspending them in mid-air, unconscious but alive. A weight that Tier hadn't known of lifted off her shoulders at the sight of them while another weight dropped onto them. That man seemed to know of her attachment to her Fracción and was using it to stall her hand. But, for what purpose?

"Falsch Gehäusedichtung (False Body Seal)!"

Hearing this caused Tier's eyes to widen in alarm. She didn't have time to question how or why that old man—Sensei—had survived before she saw a spidery script run across her Gigai as foreign Reiryoku invaded from her mid-back. She ejected out from the Gigai, only to feel resistance as the spidery script latched onto her spirit body and transform into chains. She pulsed her own Reiryoku in an attempt to break the chains, only to feel it be absorbed and for the chains to grow thicker.

Within seconds, the chains had wrapped around her arms and stomach. Seeming to have enough leverage over her, the chains began to pull her back towards her Gigai. Tier fought against it with all her might and Reiryoku, but it was not enough. Her mind was clouded, sluggish, while her body was burning from the chains nipping and feeding off her Reiryoku.

It was made worse by the fact that something was beginning to affect her memory. The past few minutes were slowly being washed from her memory; the feel of the barrier as she passed through it, the appearance of the masked man, the name and appearance of Sensei, and the fact that there was more than one person who attacked them. Was there even a second person who had attacked them? She didn't remember another person—just an old man with a staff...

Tier's eyes fluttered to a close as she fell backwards and into her Gigai. The script that binded her slowly lost their fiery color before fading from sight altogether. For the second time in her life, Tier Harribel had been defeated in battle. Although this time, it was not due to someone being stronger than her.

XXXXXX

"It is done." Sensei stated as the blonde woman's sealed Gigai fell to the ground. He looked up at the floating Ghost with narrowed eyes, "You could have told me how powerful that woman really was. If you had done that, I would have been able to take proper precautions and save you from appearing here."

Cinq frowned underneath his mask as he lowered himself to the ground, "Do you think that I don't know that already?" Cinq then waved his hand towards the sleeping woman, causing some of his sleep sand to fly to her. The sand glowed with a golden light for a few seconds before it flew into the sleeping woman's eyes.

Once that was done Cinq turned back to Sensei and resumed his argument with the old man. "I couldn't have told you how strong your opponent would be because neither I nor Clockwork knew who Aizen would be sending."

Seeing the confused look on Sensei's face Cinq sighed before looking off into the distance. "Very soon we are approaching a period in time that plays a pivotal role in deciding the future. Any small decision or event can lead to a drastically different future then the one that we're trying to prevent." Cinq then turned back to Sensei and stared straight at him through the eye holes in his mask. "And because of that Clockwork's visions of the timeline are becoming ever more clouded... "

"And more and more details are beginning to elude his sight." Sensei finished in a somber tone as the gravity of the situation finally struck him.

"Yes." Cinq reluctantly admitted before he sighed. "All we can do now is follow whatever path Clockwork thinks will lead to a better future and work to make sure that it comes to succeed. If it does not, then everything we have worked for will be reduced to ashes around us."

XXXXXX

(Amity Park)

Things were not looking good for the Amity Trio, now considered the Amity Quartet to signify Sidney's entrance into their group. Not only had they barely made it out of Axion Labs before the police had shown up, they were out way past their curfews. It wouldn't help them that they each looked like they had walked out of a war-zone.

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay, dude?" Tucker asked with an obvious concern present in his tone, looking over at his male best friend nervously. "I mean, we've all stayed out _way_ past our curfews, so we can weasel our ways out of serious punishment... But this is your second time coming home _this_ late and you look like you've gone through hell."

Sam's lips thinned into a single line. "Of course, being kidnapped, tortured, and almost _murdered_ by an insane Ghost wouldn't be considered going through hell, Tucker."

Today had been a really bad day for Sam. Not only had Peten attacked the school and ruined the gym in his fight with Danny, Danny had been kidnapped which led to the whole ordeal at Axion Labs. The discovery and appearance of her and Tucker's powers was very cool, alongside her new weapon, but she was so very tired. When she was tired, she got a bit cranky. Combining that with all of the stress she had undergone today and one was left with an irritable, frustrated Sam Manson.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

Sam's eyes flashed dangerously, "Then what _did_ you mean, Tucker?"

"We can't fight right now, guys." Danny said as he stepped in-between his two friends with Sidney floating behind him, uncertain of how to help. "I know everyone is stressed, but we can't fight. Fighting would only make things worse and, frankly, we're all too tired to fight."

"As if that matters..." Sam muttered under her breath. Hearing Danny sigh, she looked up and frowned at everyone. "You guys all know that's true. Our parents probably already know about what happened at the school today and will _grill_ us the moment we get back home. Even if we're too tired for a fight, we're all walking straight _into_ one."

"You're right, Sam." Tucker admitted with an unhappy look on his face, tired of Sam's sudden anger. "The moment each of us gets back to our houses, our parents will start asking questions about where we were, what we did, and why we look the way we do right now; like we've gone through a freaking _war_... So what do you expect us to do?"

Everyone went quiet after that. It was a relief, in a way, since it was holding the fight that nobody really wanted while making them focus on the real issues. Tucker was right: what _were_ they supposed to do? They knew that telling their parents the truth, while easier, wouldn't fly as then they would have to explain everything else. And _that_ was not a can of worms they wanted to open right now. So, what else could they do but lie?

That, in turn, brought out the question of what lie could explain everything—their long disappearance, how tired they were, and how beaten up they all were. Several ideas were formed but rejected as each of them considered what their parents could accept and what they could not. For example, the Fentons would probably believe any Ghost-related excuse but the Foleys and Mansons would need more concrete details.

It was Sam that finally came up with the idea. "We'll tell our parents the same thing. That a clownish Ghost calling itself "Peten" invaded the cafeteria and chased everyone around while we were in the bathroom. When we came out of the bathroom, everyone was screaming and running around... Peten came and started chasing yes, so we had to hide from him. We were so "scared" that we hid, losing track of time."

"How would we explain our injuries?" Tucker asked a bit skeptically.

Sam frowned for a moment, finger to her temple as she thought about it. "I got it," She said after a moment. "While Peten was chasing us, he threw weapons at us. As we were running, we managed to avoid most of them... but a few managed to rip our clothes and leave a few injuries."

"I don't know if my parents will buy that..." Tucker said.

"My parents will buy it the moment they heard that a Ghost was involved." Danny said with a small shake of his head.

"With all of the Ghost activity recently, it shouldn't be too hard for your parents to understand, Tuck." Sam responded before smiling deviously, "I mean... no one knew where Peten went after he destroyed the gym and the whole school knows about how he attacked... So why not milk that for a free excuse? Beats telling them the truth."

Tucker looked uncertain, "... I guess so."

"Good." Sam said victoriously. "Now let's go home before our parents send out the police to search for us." She paused to look at her (human) friends sternly. "And don't forget to stick to what I said. If they find out we've lied about it when talking to each other, it'll get really bad for us. And, trust me, they _will_ be talking to each other."

"You're the expert."

XXXXXX

After Sam had come up with the cover story they would be using, and made sure they remembered it by bombarding them with numerous questions, the group had reluctantly spilt apart. Sidney left with Tucker, Sam left for her family's house, and Danny began to walk the short distance to his home.

Honestly, he wished he didn't know that he was going to walk into a war zone. If he didn't, then he wouldn't be stressing out about if Sam's cover story would hold up against his parent's bombardment of questions. Or if he would be able to adapt to any flaws or cracks his parents found and quickly make up a believable excuse. He knew he was going to make some error—he was so tired he wanted to fall asleep right now, even on the sidewalk—and was already having to force himself to focus.

Who knew what was going to happen when he faced his parents.

There came a sudden surge of energy. Feeling it caused Danny to stop walking before he closed his eyes at the increasingly familiar feel of the energy as it flowed over his body like a bucket of cool water on a hot summer's day. It felt wonderful; soothing all of his protesting muscles into a relaxed silence. After a moment of this, the energy receded back to from whence it had come, leaving Danny to feel as if he had just woken up.

"Thank you, Leviatán."

_"You need not to thank me. I simply channeled some of our Reiryoku into your system. The effects of it should provide you with a clarity of mind and a relaxation of the muscles." _Leviatán responded from within Danny's inner world, tiredly resting his head on the silver sands. "_It is only temporary, so you must seek to end the argument before it completely wears off."_

Danny sighed, "Alright. I suppose we have to get this over with, then..."

With that said, Danny walked the rest of the distance separating him from his home. Getting there, he quickly walked up the staircase, took out his key, unlocked the door, and entered. Strange shadows stuck out against the bright hallway walls, centering above the opened doorway that led into the family living room. They hinted at the danger that awaited him there, furthered by the dead silence caused by a conversation that had just suddenly ended.

They had been waiting for him.

"... Danny?" His mom called quietly, hopefully, before the sounds of her footsteps echoed through the silent house. Her uncovered head peaked around the entrance to the living room, eyes puffy and red-rimmed. "Is that you..." Upon seeing him standing there, his mom's eyes lit up in a mixture of happiness and relief before she launched herself at him. "Danny!"

His mom's arms wrapped around him before she pulled him into a tight, relieved hug. It was nice, after all that had happened tonight, to feel this warmth. The hug also made him feel really guilty because it reminded him that his parents, despite their obsession with Ghosts and developing anti-Ghost technology, really cared for him and Jazz. They were concerned for him. And he had repaid them by lying to them.

"We were really worried about you, Danny." His dad said as he and Jazz emerged from the living room with a concerned look on his face. It flickered for a moment, becoming more serious, before he put a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "C'mon, Maddie. Let's take this to the living room."

His mom looked up at his dad and seemed to have a conversation with him by just looking his dad in the eyes. After a couple of moments, she nodded once, slowly unwinded her arms and let go of Danny, and took his dad's hand offered hand. "Alright, Jack."

With that said, Jazz turned and retreated into the living room and sat down on the far end of the couch. She was followed by Maddie and Jack, who sat in the middle of the couch, and then Danny, who sat in the reclining chair across from the couch. It was the same set-up as the last time Danny had been confronted by his parents, when they thought someone was extorting him. The meaning of the arrangement was clear; it was time for the confrontation to begin.

"Before we ask you what you were doing, I would like to say one thing Danny." Jack said seriously, looking into his son's eyes. "While I am very happy that you are mostly alright, I am disappointed in you. You never came home after school or tried to contact us. And after that Ghost attacked your school today, your mom and I needed to know you were okay... We thought that..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, unable to say or acknowledge it.

"Now, we know that we have been busy lately," Maddie continued in lead of her husband, "but that isn't an excuse for you to start acting like this, Danny. Starting food fights into the cafeteria, staying out late with your friends, coming home bruised and battered, and not contacting us when we were worried sick over where you were."

Danny's heart constricted at his parents' words. It hurt a lot to hear his dad, fun-loving and goofy dad, seriously tell him that he was disappointed in him. While his parents may have scolded him and grounded him, they had never told him that they were disappointed in him. So, for them to tell him that they were disappointed now... he really wanted to tell them what was really going on. That way, they would understand that he wasn't trying to be bad; he was only trying to deal and learn to control himself as an Arrancar.

He could never tell them that, though. If he did tell them, there was no limit to what they would do. They could accuse him of being controlled by a Ghost, that he really wasn't their son, or try to "fix" him through their studies into paranormal world. So, despite how much it hurt, he would have to keep lying to them. He took a deep breath.

"At school today, a Ghost proclaiming himself as "Peten" came into the cafeteria and surprised Dash, who came over to tell me off for telling Ms. Spectra that he was bullying me. Everyone panicked and we all fled from the cafeteria... Peten came after us and started throwing these weird sword-like knives at us, so we tried to hide." Danny said.

"And by "we", you mean you and your friends." Maddie stated.

"Yeah. We all hide in the janitor's closet. We heard everyone screaming and didn't know what to do; we didn't have anything with us. Lancer had confiscated Tucker's PDA earlier, Sam doesn't have a phone, and my phone was out of battery." Danny continued to say, looking down.

"So you're saying that you hid in the janitor's closet for hours? Even after your mom and I came to the school and looked for the Ghost?" Jack asked with a suspicious tone in his voice. "We checked everywhere and used the intercom system to inform anyone still within the school that the Ghost was gone and they could leave."

Oh, crud.

The lie that Sam had come up with was hitched on the idea that his parents believed it and would talk to her and Tucker's parents about it, making it more believable. His dad's question threatened to collapse the entire idea and, if that happened, they would only grow more suspicious and demand the truth. If that happened, Danny didn't know if he would be able to lie his way out of it. What could he do about it, though? He wasn't like Sam, who could spin up a believable lie to her parents.

"Yes, we hid in the janitor's closet in the gym. We thought it would be a good hiding place, but the Ghost came after us. From the sounds we heard, it seemed like the Ghost was fighting somebody else. I think the intercom speaker got broken or something, because we never heard anyone over it." Danny said, half-lying. He honestly didn't know if his battle against Peten had hurt the intercom system, but Peten had been flinging around a lot of knives; it was possible. "We came out once we believed that everyone had left and the gym was trashed."

There came a brief silence as Maddie and Jack digested what Danny had said. It was true that there was damage in the gym; lingering ectoplasmic energy, slash marks on almost every surface, and a huge hole that had been created by another, as-of-yet unidentified type of energy. While they had went through and collected samples of the obvious fight, there was enough damage to suggest that Danny's explanation was plausible.

There was a brief moment silence as Maddie and Jack mentally digested what Danny had said. It was true that there was damage in the gym; lingering ectoplasmic energy, slash marks on most of the gym's walls, and a huge hole that had been created by another as-of-yet unidentified type of energy. The amount of damage in the gym did lend credit to Danny's excuse, but still...

Jack and Maddie exchanged brief looks, almost as though they were having a silent conversation. After a moment, Jack opened his mouth and began to speak: "If that is what happened, then we can forgive your actions tonight. We cannot however, forgive how you have been ignoring our rules recently." He looked down at Danny with a frown. "You are grounded for the next three weeks; you are to come home straight after school. That means no meeting up with your friends after school for hours on end, and no television. You can still take Karate since you already paid for it, but you are to come straight home afterwards."

Danny felt relief flood his system as his parents laid out his grounding terms; they had bought his excuse. Granted he was now grounded but it definitely could've gone worse. Hopefully now his parents would, unknowingly, complete the plan and eventually talk to Sam and Tucker's parents. If Sam and Tuck stuck to the same story they had come up with, they would get away with it. Still though, getting grounded was a serious bummer.

Being grounded meant that he wouldn't be able to meet up with Sam, Tucker, or Sidney for a while. They wouldn't be able to talk about what had happened tonight, those strange abilities they had displayed, or ask about why Sidney had changed from being monochrome to technicolor. Sure, they could talk about it at school during lunch, but with the total lack of privacy and the fact Jazz was probably going to be watching them for a while was gonna make that an extremely difficult thing to do.

"We should start your punishment now, but with the our college reunion coming up, we will be postponing it until we get back from the reunion." Jack said before he sighed and looked down again, "Now... just go to your room, Danny. We'll all talk about this more, tomorrow."

XXXXXX

As her little brother left to go to his room, Jazz's eyes never left him. A part of her was screaming at her that she should just march up and confront him. Another part, however, was telling her that it was best to wait; she didn't have all the evidence yet.

Jazz knew that, ever since that accident, something had changed within Danny. He had started breaking lab equipment in school, began staying out late with Sam and Tucker, started taking karate classes without telling any of them about it, and hadn't been that surprised when FentonWorks boomed as a reaction to the confirmation of their parents' work.

She had certainly been surprised enough, as she had believed that Ghosts didn't exist and that her parents were just chasing fake entities to rationalize the ridcule that the rest of the scientific community showed them. To learn that her parents weren't obsessed failures, or even the tiniest bit crazy, had been like a slap in the face to her.

Danny, on the other hand, had accepted the existence of ghosts with little to no shock, almost as if he knew that the ghosts were already there. Still, it was nice to stop hearing people calling her parents lunatics or whispering about how smart she was "compared to her parents".

No, she was getting off-topic. What she meant to be thinking of what all of these changes meant for her brother and what was casuing them. Danny wasn't telling anyone what had happened during the accident, except perhaps Sam and Tucker, and Jazz knew that they wouldn't tell her if she asked. The lack of trust between them was a little hurtful since she was just worried about her brother and wanted to find out what was wrong so she could help him.

_'I will find out what's wrong, Danny.'_ Jazz thought as her brother vanished from sight, having reached the top of the staircase. _'I'll__ unravel all of your lies and get to the truth of the matter, I will find out what's wrong so I can help you, no matter what...'_

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

* * *

><p>1. <span>Pulsera Cuerno (Horn Bracelet)<span>: A technique in which Apacci throws her Zanpakutō, Cierva, as though they were a boomerang. Cierva will then fly towards an opponent or part of the surrounding environment and saw into it with the spiky horn-like segments on it. If Cierva initially misses the target, Apacci can adjust their flight with a pulse of her Reiryoku; changing its direction or simply bringing Cierva back to her.

2. Bala (Bullet): A technique that hardens the user's Reiryoku and releases it in a swift yet potent blast. It is similar to Cero in nature, though it is not nearly as powerful as it. To make up for the lack of power, it is 20 times faster and can be fired in rapid succession.

3. Cuerno Corte (Horn Cut): A technique which involves Apacci applying a sharp edge of Reiryoku into her Zanpakutō, Cierva. This edge of Reiryoku amplifies the cutting power already present within Cierva, allowing it to cut through opponents or its surroundings much more easily. It can be negated, however, with a strong enough defense or by simply dodging it.

4. Falsch Gehäusedichtung (False Body Seal): A technique in which Sensei seals a spirit hiding within a false body into it. Mere contact with the false body unleashes a potent burst of Reiryoku, in the form of a "spidery" script which then races along the false body. As the technique seals the spirit into the false body, it causes both immense pain, to subdue the spirit until the technique is complete. If the spirit is strong enough and try to flee, the script will take the form of chains to keep the spirit in the false body or pull the spirit back into it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **That was an exciting chapter. Not only have Tier & Co. got near Amity Park, we got to see a fight between them and Sensei. We also got to see that Clockwork isn't all seeing and that, in the future, more and more "little changes" will start influencing the timeline more. And we got to see Danny getting confronted by his parents for the second time as a result of being kidnapped. If only he would tell them the truth...

I am thankful that I have been able to write this chapter in the library and with the use of my school's computers. If not, then I wouldn't have been able to contact the co-author of this wonderful story and work on it with him. For those of you wondering about my laptop, I sent it in with the warranty as was suggested by friends and family and, just today, I got my labtop back! Whoo-hoo~!

Now I can get back into things! The first few things I'm going to do are:

1. Post this chapter.

2. Work on Fate: Chaos' next chapter and upload it.

3. Plan out the "Battle of Saffron City" chapter of P:EC.

Well, that's it for now. Tell us how we did in this chapter; what you liked, what you thought could've been done better (what was wrong with it, how it could be improved), or suggest some things that you guys want to see in the future. It might not happen in the "Musical Vlad" arc, but it could happen sometime later... So, remember to review!

Bye, guys!


	21. Chapter 21:

Disclaimer: We don't own anything.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."  
><em>'Someone is thinking.'<br>_"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter 21:<p>

* * *

><p>(Amity Park—Forest)<p>

As Tier slowly began to return to consciousness, she slowly became aware of the long grass underneath her and the warm wind brushing over her face. Instead of soothing her, the grass and wind only caused her to grow wary as there was no grass in her chambers and all winds in Huceo Mundo were cold. With the growing belief that she was in enemy territory, she silently molded her reiryoku and sent it out in the form of a Pesquisa in order to "see" just where she was.

The first thing that she "saw" was herself. She was lying down near the base of what appeared to be tree with diminished reiryoku levels and wounds indicating of a recent battle. Tiburón's physical form was nearby, which reassured her as it was within grabbing distance. All in all, if she was in hostile territory then whoever had captured her wasn't all that intelligent if they would leave her unbound with Tiburón so close.

Next came the sight of the three figures that served as her fracción. Like her, they sported diminished reiryoku and a few wounds but were mostly unharmed. Something within Tier's chest loosened at this knowledge before she was flooded with a sudden relief: they were alright. Wounded and tired yes, but alive.

Her Pesquisa expanded past her three and beyond. It allowed her to see the various animals that one would expect from a forest (various kinds of insects, chittering birds, squirrels looking for nuts, a couple of small mice, a fox...) but nothing else. There was no one within range of her Pesquisa, besides she and her fracción that possessed even a single drop of reiryoku within their bodies.

Still, while that knowledge would have normally soothed her, Tier didn't relax. Something didn't feel right. How had she and her fracción come to be here? Who had they battled? Why had she battled someone? Most importantly, why was she having difficulty in calling her reiryoku forward and manipulating it?

_"You can't remember, Tier?"_ Tiburón's voice, distant and muffled, scoffed. _"You've become so weak..."_

Something clicked into place. Tier remembered training with her fracción only to be called to Dios Aizen's chambers. She remembered going to Szayel and getting supplies she and her fracción would need for a trip into the Human World. She remembered all of the time they had spent tracking an Arrancar down, the taste of the Human souls she had eaten and Apacci's complaints, Sung-Sun's seemingly endless chiding of her fellow fracción , the small lessons she had been able to get in. She remembered one last rush, an old man, seeing her fracción fall, rage and pain, and darkness.

Tier's teal eyes snapped open even as she sat up, flexing her fingers and looking at her body. Now that she could remember, she realized that her wounds had been caused by that Human, "Sensei". Her diminished reiryoku was a result of that strange Kidō -like ability of his which was slowly draining her reiryoku to fuel itself. By doing that, it could continue to exist and fulfill its purpose of trapping her within her Gigai.

_"Fine, ignore me. I don't want to talk to you anyway."_

"Apacci, Sung-Sun, Mila-Rose..." Tier said as she approached where her three loyal fracción lay before kneeling down. She struggled with her reiryoku for a moment before releasing it in the form of reiatsu, "It's time to wake up."

The feel of Tier's reiatsu washed over the three lower-ranked Arrancar and caused Mila-Rose to groan as she and the others woke up. Apacci's sleepy, mismatched eyes were the first to notice the strange environment they were in before she turned to Tier with a confused expression. There, like Sung-Sun, she noticed and grew incensed over the visible wounds through her leader's clothes. How _dare_ someone raise arms against Dama Harribel!

"I can see that you three are confused and upset, so let me explain before you ask any questions. It seems that, before we fell unconscious, we came across a Human capable of fighting toe-to-toe with us. After a brief engagement, each of us were affected by a Kidō-like ability which is currently confining us to our Gigai and making our reiryoku difficult to access." Tier said.

"How could some Human match all of us? It doesn't make sense: Humans barely ever develop any type or control over their reiryoku." Mila-Rose asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "And to seal us within our Gigai... Humans aren't supposed to be aware of Gigai."

"That Human could have been a survivor of the Quincy Massacre 200 years ago. It would explain why he was able to fight on-par with us, his knowledge of Gigai, and an understanding of reishi signatures that would have allowed him to sense that we are Arrancar." Sung-Sun reasoned.

"Do you really think that a Quincy of that Human's level would have gone unnoticed by the Soul Society for so long?" Mila-Rose asked a tad doubtfully, "While they haven't caught us because of these Gigai and your technique, Sung-Sun, the Shinigami have damn good machines that can detect almost anyone with reiryoku in the Human World."

Tier raised her right hand, causing her three fracción to stop before they could begin to argue. "Enough. Speculating over who or what that man was will do nothing. As it stands, our mission has been compromised by his actions. In our condition we will be unable to keeping up with the Arrancar or fighting any Shinigami, or Human, that may be after it."

It was a bitter pill to swallow. They had all spent so much time just tracking down this Arrancar, trying to avoid the Soul Society's notice, and now it was so close. Despite that, they would be unable to assist the Arrancar in their current condition so, regretfully, they would have to leave it alone.

"I will be contacting Dios Aizen with news of what has happened and to seek guidance in how to proceed from here." Tier stated before looking each of her fracción in the eyes, "Do not be discouraged. You have done beyond anything that anyone could have expected out of you. It was only circumstances beyond our control that have landed us in this situation."

"Yes, Dama Harribel."

Tier nodded before she stood up and removed a Denreishinki from the depths of her hakama's pockets. Her fingers deftly tapped out the number that would connect her to Dios Aizen's personal Denreishinki and waited as it slowly went to work. Within moments, a familiar but unexpected face appeared on the screen, "I'm sorry Harribel-chan, but Aizen-taicho's busy." The grinning face of Gin Ichimaru said, "What can I do for you~?"

"I need to report a recent happening in the mission that Dios Aizen assigned my fracción and I." Harrbiel began.

"Oh? Do tell."

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Casper High—Cafeteria)

One would be able to find Danny, Sam, and Tucker sitting around 'their' table in the cafeteria, talking to each other in what felt like the first time in a long time. The disaster that had been Technus' kidnapping/attempted murder of Danny had left them with a lot of unanswered questions and the need to talk to one another. This, however, had been very difficult due to their punishments and general school stuff had left them with little to no time to meet and talk.

Sure, they could still talk in the hallways, before and after classes, during lunch, and after-school but they couldn't talk about anything important. They couldn't talk about what happened with Technus, Sam and Tucker's new powers, Sidney's transformation, Danny's boost in power and his new techniques, or what they would do about all of it. It had been really annoying and frustrating.

What made the situation different was that Danny's seeming minder—Jazz—had been called away by a teacher about some extracurricular project. This had allowed them to really talk for the first time since everything had happened, though they were being careful not to mention anything important while eating. They could talk about the important stuff when they had finished eating and had found a place to talk.

So, what were they talking about?

"My parents grounded me for two weeks. I have to come home straight after school and do my homework before spending time in my room "thinking about what I did"." Tucker informed with an unhappy look before he sighed, "I'm just lucky that they didn't take away my PDA like they did my computer..."

"Yeah." Sam agreed with her own sigh, looking down at her sandwich. "It's the same thing at my house, but my grandma has been sneaking me in things she finds "interesting" so I won't get bored." A small smile appeared on her face at the memory of her grandma and the odd little things she had been given. "It has, however, allowed me to practice with my new sword and play around with my you-know-what."

Even though it seemed like ordinary speech, Danny caught the underlying tones. Both of his friends were anxious and unsure of what had happened to them and why this had happened to them. It had been enough when they could use reiryoku to increase their speed or, in Sam's case, call forth a bunch of ribbons that allowed her to track anybody she wanted to. Now, their most precious object could somehow morph and grant them with supernatural powers they didn't understand or know how to control.

It was a similar situation to Danny's own feelings regarding his powers ever since he got them. He was starting to come to grips with everything, but the concern and worry about it was still there. How was he supposed to learn to control his powers when he kept learning that he could do more?

"I think we should talk about the you-know-what, guys." Danny said, gesturing towards the clock.

Sam and Tucker looked at it for a moment, their plates, and then back up again. "Yeah," Sam agreed as she got up, followed by Tucker and Danny. "I have found out some things about it that I should probably tell you guys about."

Getting rid of their trays, the trio walked out of the cafeteria and into the hallways. There they were asked where they were headed by one of the new security officers that the morning announcements and assembly had introduced them to. Sam answered that they were headed to the library and he nodded, letting them pass. But, not before the teens had noticed the twin Fenton Ecto-Guns that were strapped to either side of his belt.

That was also something else that had happened. Apparently, the school board had decided to beef up the school's security after Peten had showed up. To do this, they had inquired in about Fentonworks and were talking to Danny's parents about anti-Ghost measures. The talks looked promising but, sadly, the only thing that Fentonworks could do short-term was train the security guards on how to recognize Ghosts, how to fight them, and supply them with a few anti-Ghost weapons.

Now past the guards, the trio quickly made their way to Sam's Chemistry class classroom. The teacher of that class was out during lunch but left the classroom open for his students to go when they had finished their lunches. It wasn't the most ideal place to go if they wanted to talk about something secret, but they should have at least five to fifteen minutes before anyone else came to disturb them in it.

As soon as they got into the room and saw that nobody was there, Sam shrugged off her backpack before taking out a red prinny doll and placing it on a lab table. The prinny shook itself for a moment and then took out a pair of tapered glasses from its fanny-pack and put them over its eyes. That done, Sidney Poindexter turned to look up at his friends. "So, we're going to talk about what happened that night with Technus, I presume?"

Everyone nodded.

"We pretty much already had powers, but this—" Sam's body was enveloped in green flames for a moment before she stepped out, covered in the vine-like clothing/armor. A flare of her reiryoku had a small potted plant responding to her, turning towards her as she manipulated its spirit thread. "We never suspected to develop powers like this."

Tucker nodded in agreement, "Yeah. While my Data Crusher seems really cool, and I'm thankful for it, I didn't think I could ever get something like that. Or do this..." Green flames enveloped Tucker's PDA before the flames moved across his arms, dissipating to reveal Data Crusher in all of its glory. "Program: Firewall."

Spreading his hands apart, Tucker used his reiryoku to create a smaller version of the shield that he had instinctively made to protect himself a couple of days ago. Recreating the technique hadn't been that difficult, since he could remember how it felt. It helped that he had nothing but time in which to practice since he got grounded. That and test out to see what else Data Crusher could do...

As Sidney waddled to the edge of the table that he was on, Tucker allowed his firewall to dissipate into thin air and then turned his attention towards Sidney. He was in time to see Sidney as "his" body glowed green for a second before his intangible spirit exited the prinny plushy. Once out of the prinny, Sidney quickly became solid again before picking up the plushy from where he left it.

It was then everyone noticed that, besides his new coloring, Sidney had removed the tape from his glasses and combed his hair back. Altogether, it made him almost look like a regular teenager, except maybe a couple of shades paler.

Sidney unzipped the prinny's fanny-pack before four pieces of paper floated out of it and into Sidney's right hand. Within seconds, the paper morphed into a short origami knife which had a slight silvery sheen instead of the usual plain white of ordinary paper. When the knife was fully formed Sidney showed it to the rest of the group, who noted that the knife looked like it was made from Paper Mache more than the origami-based style that Sidney used to shape his weapons like.

"I know you guys said that you could do more with your powers, but I never believed that you could do things like that." Danny said once the awe over his friends' display had died down. "You guys already had powers but now you can control plants and create shields? It's amazing..."

Sidney nodded at Danny's statement as a contemplative look entered his eyes, "And unusual as well. Most souls are unable to develop reiryoku while still within their original Human bodies, but you cats have." He glanced towards Sam and Tucker. "What's more is that you actually developed those powers and were able to use them at your own free will. If that wasn't kooky enough, your abilities are still developing, and may produce stronger powers."

"... Well, we have differently colored ribbons then a lot of normal people. My ability to form those spirit ribbons and sense where Danny was appeared slowly, so maybe it's a natural thing for us." Sam reasoned out as she thought about her own powers.

Tucker looked at Sam for a moment as if she just said she was becoming a meat-eater, "You call transforming a PDA into two metal gauntlets and growing body armor made out of plants "natural", Sam? If you do, I think we better get you in to see a doctor so we can get your head examined..." He put a finger onto his chin, "Though, if you _are_ crazy, that would explain why you like that garbage you call food so much..." Sam punched him in the shoulder for that comment, leading him to rub his arm and turn to look at her. "That hurt, Sam!"

"You deserved it." Sam said.

"He's right though." Sidney said thoughtfully, missing or ignoring the glare that Sam sent at him in response. "About the powers not being natural, not about the food. Like I said, normal Humans shouldn't be able to develop any Reiryoku of their own, let alone be able to use it. But from what you cats have said so far, you two might be more different from other Humans. Hmm, maybe that could be it..."

"... 'Maybe' what, Sidney?" Danny asked.

Sidney frowned, "You cats have said that Danny gained his Arrancar form and powers when an invention of his parents was turned on while he was still inside of it." He looked at Danny, "When that happened, I think that your body and soul were flooded Hollow Reiryoku, forcibly morphing your normal Human soul into that of a Hollow. But that's not all that happened, if it was then you would've just become another Hollow... You said that you shattered something on your face before the pain intensified, that was probably when you transformed from a Hollow and into an Arrancar."

"It makes sense, but... that portal that Mr. and Mrs. Fenton built was designed to pierce through the fabric separating the Human world and the Ghost Zone. Why wasn't he flooded with Ghost Reiryoku instead?" Tucker asked before adding on, "And for that matter what does any of this have to do with Sam's and my powers?"

"I was getting to that, sheesh. Anyways it could be possible that, instead of piercing into the Ghost Zone as was intended to do, the portal pierced through the fabric of reality that separates the Human world and Huceo Mundo instead." Sidney said as his voice became more and more sure, "It's only a guess, since I haven't even seen this portal you cats told me about, but it's the only explanation I can think of that makes sense." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, "And as for how it applies to your earlier question... It has everything to do with your power."

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.

"I think that you cats received a 'taste', if you will, of Hollow reiryoku when that accident happened... which then evolved into your current powers as your souls started to develop their own reiryoku and mixed with that 'taste' Hollow reiryoku." Sidney paused for a moment, "I have another theory, though. It's that the Hollow reiryoku actually awakened and sped up the development of something that you cats already had inside of you."

Silence fell upon the room. It was to be expected, though, as none of them knew what to say in the face of Sidney's theories. What could they say? None of them knew for sure how Tucker and Sam had started to develop their own reiryoku, why their ribbons were colored differently, or why they were made up of different colored 'flames' then everyone else when Danny looked at them with his Pesquisa.

After what seemed like an eternity, Danny opened his mouth. "If you want to, you guys can check out the Ghost Portal this weekend. My parents are dragging me and Jazz to some old college reunion of theirs after school, so you'd have the chance to look at it until we get back on Sunday."

Danny was about to say something but before he could Sam hit the back of Tucker's head with her hand. Tucker exclaimed from pain but, before he could do anything in retaliation, the school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Sydney reentered the prinny and hopped back into Sam's bag while the others grabbed their stuff. They all agreed to try and meet up when Danny returned from his family's trip and picked up their backpacks. They then left the room and began to make their way to their respective classes, in the case of Danny and Tucker, while Sam went over to her desk and sat down.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—1600 St—Number 5 Maple Lane)

In the two days since Tier had first tried to contact Dios Aizen, several things had happened. The first thing that had happened is that Tier, following Gin's orders, had managed to acquire a vacant house within Amity Park which would serve as their base operations. The next thing that had happened was that Tier had managed to get in contact with Szayel and have him start the process of getting their coordinates.

Shortly after Tier and her fracción had gotten the keys to 1600 Maple Lane and "moved" into the house, Szayel had reported that he had a lock on their coordinates. He had then told them that an "associate" of his would meet them soon alongside the reinforcements Gin thought they would be needing. Before anyone could question who would be coming, Szayel had cut off the connection as he had "much more important things to do".

Four blades emerged from the corners of the wall where a dormant fireplace stood, instantly startling and freaking out Apacci and Mila-Rose. The two stepped away from the blades and demanded to know what was going on while Sung-Sun chided them, saying that this was most likely the work of Szayel's associate. It was shortly after that that the blades moved diagonally towards the middle of the wall in an "X"-like shape and then sank in as the entire wall went dark.

"I've never seen a Garganta like that..." Apacci muttered.

"That's because it isn't a standard Garganta. It's a variation of it that I developed using a new invention that I, Dexter, have created. You may know it as the Garganta Abierta (Open Throat)."

The speaker was an Arrancar with curly red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. His outfit consisted of an ankle-length buttoned up lab-coat, black boots, and purple gloves. His mask fragment took the form of white glasses with thin gray lenses in between them. His Zanpakutō took the form of a large silver wrench that was strapped to the side of his pants.

"... Who are you?" Mila-Rose asked.

"You don't know me?" The redheaded Arrancar asked sourly. He seemed ready to say more yet the honest confusion on their faces stalled him, allowing his mind to catch up. "Of course you don't know me: you've been on a mission. Well, we can't keep you not knowing." He cleared his throat. "I am Dexter, one of the three Co-Heads of the División de Ciencias of Dios Aizen's army, boy genius."

Asking Dexter to elaborate had led to the quartet quickly learning about the new changes that Dios Aizen had implemented shortly after they had left for the Human World. Dios Aizen had divided and reassigned portions of their fighting force into different groups, called divisions, while giving the Espada, the Privaron Espada, and a few more notable Arrancar the right to lead them.

While Dexter got into talking about each new division and their responsibilities, ten more Arrancar had emerged from the Garganta Abierta. Those Arrancar quickly began to help Arrancar from the División de Ciencias finish setting up their equipment before having them remove anything unnecessary from the room and bringing in _their_ equipment. Noticing the curious gazes of Tier's fracción, Dexter explained that those new Arrancar were members of the Escuadrón de infiltración and would be turning the suite into a makeshift base.

Two days had passed since then. In that time, Dexter had his subordinates set up a miniature laboratory, had performed some preliminary tests on Tier, Apacci, Mila-Rose, and Sung-Sun, and then used the data that he had gotten from those tests to craft three-dimensional models of the quarters natural Arrancar forms, their Gigai, and the seal keeping them bound to their Gigai.

The remaining room within the laboratory had been converted into a storage warehouse. It slowly began to become filled with supplies from Las Noches and supplies that the Escuadrón de infiltración acquired. With Dexter's orders to stay put so he could monitor the quartet, it hadn't taken very long for them to find out what those supplies were in an effort to relieve their boredom. They found various bits of equipment, clothing, machines in various different sizes and forms, stored chemicals, metal, basic tools, water, rock samples, etc.

"If you are done looking around, perhaps you will pay attention and _listen_ to me."

Mila-Rose and Apacci startled a bit before turning around to see that Dexter was standing before them with an annoyed expression on his face. Both female Arrancar's cheeks turned red and bowed their heads before they muttered hasty apologies to Dexter—who was now their sort-of superior, being a co-leader of the División de Ciencias and all. Dexter huffed at this but reluctantly let the matter slide and handed Mila-Rose and Apacci two bowls.

"Eh?" Apacci questioned after looking at the contents of the bowl. Instead of being filled with some super-secret science-y concoction, the bowls were filled with steaming rice. She looked up to Dexter with a frown, "Why do you want you to eat this?"

It was a known fact that souls that had or developed reiryoku of their own would eventually need in order to nourish themselves and replenish lost energy. Shinigami ate food that was grown within the Soul Society and Hollows ate any soul they could come across. Arrancar, being half-Shinigami and half-Hollow, could chose to eat either way but most choose to continue eating as a Hollow. It was mainly because most Arrancar still viewed themselves as being Hollows but also due to the fact that Huceo Mundo lacked fertile land in which crops could grow.

So, it was understandable that Arrancar like Apacci, who had only ever ate other Hollows and a couple of Pluses, would be wary of eating something besides another soul. Looking around, the same wariness could be seen on Mila-Rose's face as well as Sung-Sun's face, though Sung-Sun's expression was not as severe. Only Tier managed to keep all signs of her unease off of her face, retaining the stoic expression she was well-known for.

Dexter grounded his teeth together, "Yes, I want you to eat it. Why else would I have given you the bowls? So that you could stare at them like a bunch of imbeciles?"

"I would ask you not to talk to my fracción like that when in my presence, Señor Dexter." Tier said as she stared at Dexter with cold, frigid eyes that locked the red-haired Arrancar in place. "You have yet to explain exactly why this food is relevant in helping you discover a way to break the seals that bind us to our Gigai. So, until you do, you should expect similar questions to the one that Apacci asked."

Dexter clenched his fists together, angry at being spoken to like that, but bit his tongue and swallowed his pride. Realistically, he should have expected such questions and explained things beforehand. It was just that he had grown acustom to his new subordinates knowing this information that he had begun to expect everyone to know it. And, perhaps, he had also been a little angry that he had to keep explaining things to the quartet of female Arrancar.

Even if their lack of knowledge was infuriating, though, Dexter still couldn't find it in himself to dislike them. They were not as barbaric, hostile, rude, or unthinking as a majority of Arrancar outside of the División de Ciencias were. No, they were genuinely curious about what he had to say and would ask insightful questions to allow themselves to gain a better understanding of the material.

Dexter supposed that he had gotten so angry at Mila-Rose and Apacci's inattention because it reminded him of another person who had never listened to him. In his new station, that open inattentiveness towards him hadn't happened and he had forgotten how angry it usually made him. It meant that important instructions could go unheard which could led to a disaster in the lab or, worse, a complete destruction of the laboratory itself.

"Dama Harribel, Señorita Apacci, Señorita Mila-Rose, Señorita Sung-Sun... I apologize for my rude behavior towards you and hope that you could forgive my rash words." Dexter said, hand on his stomach as he lowered himself in a bow.

Tier looked at Dexter for a couple of moments, searching for some clue to help her decide if he was actually being sincere or lying in an attempt to appease her. She then turned towards her fraccion, the offended party, and caught their looks. A silent conversation born of decades working together raced between them until Tier turned away.

"Señor Dexter, we can forgive your behavior. In the future, though, you will need to keep in mind that we have not been in Huceo Mundo for months and have little knowledge of the changes that Las Noches has undergone." Tier stated, "Nor have we your knowledge and understanding in just what you are trying to do in order to help us."

Dexter's cheeks turned pink but he nodded, "Yes. I will strive towards remembering that in the future, Dama Harribel."

"Good. Now, could you tell us why you want us to eat this food?" Tier asked.

"The food in those bowls is infused with a high density of reishi from reishi-infused stalagmites that the Equipo de exploración discovered in a cave system miles away from Las Noches. I am requesting that you eat it to see how the boost of reishi into your bodies will affect your reiryoku and record how the seal reacts to that boost."

"Has this stuff been tested before?" Mila-Rose asked.

"It has been." Dexter said, having expected one of Tier's fraccion to ask this, "Each of those bowls contain reishi equivalent of that found in a standard Gillian-class Hollow. It should both satisfy your hunger as well as give you a small boost in your reiryoku. How your seals react to such a boost could be the key in helping the División de Ciencias discover how to break them."

That was all that needed to be said.

Sung-Sun picked up the fork that had come with the bowl, dipped it in to get a small bite of the rice, and placed it in her mouth. Her eyes bulged ever-so-slightly at the taste before she managed to swallow it down, already bringing up another forkful of rice to her lips. Apacci and Mila-Rose gained shocked looks at this, as Sung-Sun was practically shoveling down the food into her mouth, and then at each other before looking down at the food. Slowly, they took their own forkfuls and ate.

"T-This is...!" Apacci exclaimed with a surprised expression, "Good! Really, really good!"

"Why did I listen to you instead of listening to Dexter?" Mila-Rose demanded in-between bites, digging into the food with relish. "This stuff is awesome!"

Tier had to agree with her fraccion. The rice that Dexter had given them tasted quite good and was very satisfying. Both the taste and the satisfaction the food brought was most likely a result of all of the reishi within the food, but it was just a passing observation. Her mind was more focused on getting more of the good-tasting food into her system and wondering if other reishi-infused foods would be just as good.

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—With Dnany)

Danny was currently sitting within his family's RV, looking out of the window to his right and watching as they drove further and further away from Amity Park. When the RV stopped, he and his family would be staying with his parents' old friend Vlad Masters until their college reunion could begin the next day. The idea of the trip didn't really appeal to him, as everyone there would probably be talking about the 'old days' and talking about everything that had happened since they left college, but he still had to go.

"Just wait until Ol' Vladdie hears about everything that's happened, Maddie." Jack enthused to his wife as he continued to drive the RV on, smiling. "He might have had some doubts after what happened back then, but I'm sure he'll be as interested as back then too. And when he hears that we managed to perfect the Ghost Portal and captured a Ghost... He'll be so excited."

"I'm sure that he will be, Jack." Maddie agreed.

Well, at least his parents were excited about the trip.

As his parents began to talk about the stuff that they were going to tell their friend—which quickly lost him since it was mostly science babble he couldn't understand—Danny looked towards Jazz. His sister was reading yet another psychology book. Jazz would occasionally look from her book and look at him from the corner of her eyes. He didn't notice it in the beginning but it became obvious soon enough when he realized that she should've been further in her book than she was.

So she was still keeping an eye on him, huh? Danny turned back towards the window. Ever since his punishment had begun, Jazz had been monitoring him like a hawk. Her intentions might have been good but they were annoying and had left him with little time. In fact, if Jazz hadn't been called out during lunch to talk with her teacher, then he wouldn't have been able to talk to Sam, Tucker, and Sidney before leaving.

_'It's not my fault that Technus' brainwashed goons kidnapped me.' _Danny thought with a frown, _'If you guys knew, then you wouldn't be watching me all the time. Or at least not watching me like I'm suddenly going to do something wrong.'_

There came a flash of color and Danny blinked, drawn away from his thoughts. On the opposite side of the road was the Remember Yesterday tour bus with the singer signature flame-like logo splashed onto the side. That reminded him... Remember Yesterday was supposed to be having a concert tomorrow night. While he may not have liked Remember Yesterday's songs all that much, Tucker and Sam could have fun at it. Even if it didn't turn out all that great, it would get their minds off of everything that had happened. Get their minds off all of the fighting.

Kinda like this trip would do for him. Danny blinked, _'Huh... Maybe this trip could be as relaxing as Dad says it'll be.'_

XXXXXX

(Remember Yesterday's Tour Bus)

The inside of the Remember Yesterday's tour bus was a lot like any other tour bus. It had a small bathroom, a small kitchenette, a curtained-off area that served as a bedroom, and enough seating for everyone. The people that made up Remember Yesterday were scattered about the interior and doing different things to occupy themselves.

Zeke Hule was a lanky, green-haired, and caucasian teenager who served as the group's keyboard-player. He was in the kitchenette, making everyone sandwiches as a small snack. They would go out later for dinner, but they were hungry now. Tomas Wispy, the big boned, black-haired, brown-skinned teenager that was the group's drummer, was busy reading through one of the group's new songs. He would need to know his part by heart before they performed it tomorrow night.

The final member of the group, besides their bus driver, was the singer who had put Remember Yesterday on the map: Ember McLain. She had long, teal hair put into a ponytail at the top of her head held back with two locks of hair framing her face which look like a sharp-angled "M" and purple lipstick. She was wearing a black choker, a black one-shouldered tank-top that exposed her midriff, one long glove that covers most of her right arm, and one black bracelet on her left arm. She also wore a pair of what appeared to be leather pants with a silver belt and skull boots.

At the moment, Ember was busy tuning her guitar. Only, she wasn't doing it in a way that most regular people would or could do. She was using a hand covered in green reiryoku to tune it to perfection. It was something that she had discovered how to do in her 15 years of existence as a Ghost.

Ember finished and plucked a couple of the guitar's strings before she nodded in satisfaction. She then put her guitar back onto its case and looked around. The sight of it all never managed to astound her. How she, a former nobody, had managed to become as famous as she had so quickly... without using any of her powers.

One year ago, she and her band mates had managed to escape the Ghost Zone and enter the Human World through a naturally-occurring portal. Being there was like being given a second chance for all of them and Ember had not wanted to waste it. Together, they had formed Remember Yesterday and began to play their music at teenage parties. Then, as news of their band spread, music producers had begun to call them and had arranged for them to be able to produce their own album.

That album had gone out and one of their songs, "Remember", had become very popular with teenagers and young adults. The band's music producer, seeing this popularity, had somehow managed to give them enough money and supplies to actually go on tour. For the three Ghosts, it was a dream come true: being able to share their music and have everyone appreciate and love it.

Ember was snapped out of her thoughts and memories when she felt ectoplasmic energy suddenly wash through the bus all within. While unwelcome, it didn't startle her too much as she had expected it with all of the news about Amity Park. The feeling of the energy caused her band mates to startle before looking around in confusion, making Ember frown. "You don't realize we're we are, do you?"

"No." Zeke said, shaking his head.

"We're in Amity Park: the one town where Human scientists have actually managed to create a functioning portal into the Ghost Zone." Ember answered as if it wasn't a big deal, rolling her eyes when Zeke and Tomas' eyes grew big. "If you guys would read the newspapers, you'd know this."

There was a moment of silence before the expected "What do you want us to do?" question from Tomas.

Ember shrugged, "I don't want you to do anything we haven't already been doing. We came here for a second chance and, amazingly, we got it. If we blow our cover now, then we'll lose everything that we've worked so hard to build. If that happens and we're found out, then they'll send Ghost Hunters after us. And, worse, Walker will know and send his cronies after us. So, we're going to act as normal as possible."

"I'm afraid that I can't allow that Ms. McClain."

In an instant, everyone's attention was drawn to the source of the voice. There, next to where their now-terrified bus-driver sat, was someone that they had never seen before. The person was outfitted in a floor-length black cloak with his face unrecognizable through the shadows of his hood. The only thing about the person, or whatever it was, was that it had white, malevolent eyes.

"Ember..." Zeke warned as he slowly, slowly, reached towards the knife he had been using to spread the mayonnaise with. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Ember nodded and channeled his reiryoku into the knife until it became coated in green energy.

"Either tell us who you are and get out or face a beat down." Ember threatened as she caught her guitar as it floated into her hands. She pointed it at the cloaked figure as the tips of her fingers began to be covered with her own reiryoku. "Well, dipstick?"

"Who I am and what I am doing here does not matter. All that matters is that my master has found someone of interest in this town and that he needs bait in order to force him to come out of hiding. This little group of yours will be the perfect bait."

"Hell no!" Ember turned the dial on her guitar until it was on a specific symbol before striking the strings of her guitar, "Poing (Fist)!" A table-sized fist made out of green ectoplasmic energy was launched from the tip of Ember's guitar and launched itself at the cloaked man.

"Ballade de la foudre (Lightning Ballade)." Tomas announced a few seconds later. His drumsticks, cloaked in crackling green reiryoku, pounded on the air as it the very air were his precious drums. The first beat caused the air to crackle while the following beats served to send green lightning bolts flying towards the cloaked figure.

Zeke threw his makeshift weapon at the cloaked man. While flying through the air, the knife was joined by over two dozen similar knifes composed entirely out green, Ghostly reiryoku as they appeared around the original weapon. "Fantôme Mash (Ghost Mash)!"

The cloaked man didn't move or do anything to try and defend himself from the three techniques closing in on him. Instead, he lifted his head enough for his sharp shin and a mouth full of sharp white teeth twisted in a sinister smirk. The man then he raised his left hand in front of him, straight in the path of the incoming tasks. All three of the techniques suddenly met what appeared to be an invisible wall, stopping just before hitting the man. The man clenched his hand, as though he was crushing something in his grasp, and the stopped techniques shattered like fragile glass.

By that time however, Ember, Zeke, and Tomas were already coming at the man for round two. Tomas was going for the cloaked man's left with two sword-like protrusions emerging from the ends of his drumsticks, Zeke was going for the right with a number of blades of reiryoku flying around him, and Ember jumping up to smash the man with her guitar in case he jumped upwards to dodge Zeke and Tomas. It was a perfect combination that should have worked, given the fact that the man hadn't seen them get up, but it was for naught.

The man released his reiryoku and instantly everyone within the bus fell to their knees and started to gasp for air. The man smiled down at them, his blank white eye's somehow still expressing a feel of joy at seeing them in pain, "My master had thought that you would be uncooperative... but he didn't tell me that you would be this skilled. Yes... With your power, you'll serve as excellent bait."

"G-Go to... h-hell!" Ember bit out as she struggled to get to her feet.

"Where do you think I came from?" The man asked, cutting off any startled responses that admission might have caused by flaring his reiryoku even more. "Now. I've been here long enough." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large. white crystal. "Now, something to change your mind?"

The cloaked man then crushed the crystal in his hands so hard it turned into a fine powder. Cupping the powder with his hand and then blowing on it caused viscous white-red flames to leap towards the three Ghosts and swirl around them like miniature tornados. Then, as they began to scream from the heat of the fire, the flames began to sink into and merge with their skin. By doing so, the flames destroyed any attempt at a disguise they might have had and revealed that Zeke and Tomas were actually blue-skinned while Ember became paler and her hair began to flame.

A small portion of the white-red flames that hadn't gone into the Ghosts came together before them. Twisting and turning, the flames slowly grew increasingly solid and started to take a definitive shape. It was a guitar in the same shape in style as Ember's original guitar, but with black and red replacing the original purple and blue coloring.

"Your mission is to stage an event that will lure my master's target into the open. Something like... trying to take over the world." The man said once the flames had disappeared and the three Ghosts' eyes had flashed red before returning to normal.

A dark, long forgotten, desire surged to the forefront of Ember's mind and took root. Ember's expression darkened to match before her mouth curled into a smirk. "Guys... I believe it is time for us to start our own youth revolution!"

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Program: Firewall: A technique that allows Tucker to create a rectangular green shield composed out of solidified reiryoku in front of him. The shield is able to withstand moderate damage before starting to crack and then break. The true potential in this technique lies within the amount of reiryoku that Tucker puts into it (thus determining the amount of damage it can take) and the shape that Tucker chooses to create the shield in.

2. Garganta Abierta (Open Throat): A variation of the standard Garganta (Throat). The technique works by having four blades of reiryoku piercing through the fabric separating Huceo Mundo and the area that the user wants to Garganta to. Once they have arrived in the desired location, the reiryoku blades will come together into an 'X' shape before the Garganta will open. As long as it remains open, it allows for virtually undetectable transference between the two areas where it is open.

3. Poing (Fist): A technique that allows Ember to create a fist of reiryoku after turning the dial of her dial to the corresponding symbol. To perform this technique, Ember channels her reiryoku into her guitar which will then shape it before, with a minor pulse of reiatsu, she can launch it forward. A weakness of the technique is that it is only capable of going in a straight line once released.

4. Ballade de la foudre (Lightning Ballade): A technique that allows the user to beat on the air in order to saturate it with crackling, electricity-like reiryoku before sending it towards an enemy in the form of green lightning bolts. The number of lightning bolts is dependent on the amount of reiryoku in the air while the lightning bolts' direction and speed is determined by the user's mind.

6. Fantôme Mash (Ghost Mash): A technique that uses reiryoku to create a blueprint of an object and then clone the object with the remaining reiryoku. The cloned objects aren't as powerful as the original objects, but can be made up for if the user has created enough clones.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Whelp, that's the end of that chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out guys, but Sharkteeth and I have differing schedules that make getting together to discuss ideas and write a tad difficult. I hope that you guys will feel as the chapter was worth the wait... even if it is a filler chapter. Still, the Amity Quartet talked about and came up with some theories, Dexter reappeared to start the process of finding a way to break Sensei's seal, Danny arrived in Vlad's domain, Ember arrived in Amity Park...

I also hope that you guys liked my mini-explanation of how Arrancar have been eating like and how that could start changing soon. It is  
>partially the reason why Las Noches needs foodstuffs from the Human World; they need it to make the reishi-infused food. That will change as Las Noches manages to start producing its own food (if it ever does).<p>

Still, the change will allow more Hollows to be spared from becoming a meal... Who knows what will happen because of that? How many more Hollows will attack the Human World? How many more Hollows will rise through the ranks of the Menos? How many more Hollows will become Arrancar? How many more pawns will Aizen manage to acquire and then use against the Soul Society?

Also, if anyone has any recommendations for songs that you guys think Ember would sing... please leave them in your reviews. We want to hear your opinion of what you guys believe that Ember would sing and what would fit her style of music.


	22. Chapter 22:

Disclaimer: Neither Sharkteeth or I own anything.

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><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."  
><em>'Someone is thinking.'<br>_"A technique is being used."

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><p>Chapter 22:<p>

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><p>(Amity Park—1600 St—Number 5 Maple Lane)<p>

Armed with the information regarding the latest batch of tests on Harribel and her three Fraccion, Dexter walked into what had been a master bedroom before the División de Ciencias' arrival into the World of Living. His subordinates had wasted not a moment; quickly and efficiently ripping away all that was unnecessary in the room before bringing in machinery from their main laboratory in Las Noches. So now, while not a laboratory that Dexter would happily spend hours away in, it was good enough for its current purposes.

Spotting him, a black-haired Arrancar walked away from the screen he had been monitoring and rushed over. "Señor Dexter, I have news regarding the location of the Arrancar that Harribel was assigned to track down.

Dexter had been ready to dismiss his subordinate but stopped when he heard it was about the Arrancar Harribel had been assigned to track down. With Harribel in the state she was in, he had temporarily taken over in her stead. It had been difficult to track him with all of his work —setting up the laboratory, examining Harribel and her Fraccion, trying to figure out the mysteries behind that seal that bound them and formulate ways to break it, and dealing with a recent discovery—so he hadn't had much time to deal with that seemingly unimportant issue.

"From what we have been able to gather, the Arrancar left this city approximately two hours ago from what we have determined to be a Human high school called "Casper High". The barrier in this town prevented us from tracking him any further than that and made getting a sample of any reiatsu that he might have left highly improbable." The black-haired Arrancar reported.

Dexter pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you have any good news to tell me?"

"I believe that while we may not have good news, we have interesting news Señor Dexter. Our equipment has managed to detect a number of unusually high reiryoku-possessing beings within this town. Four of these can be tracked back towards Casper High while the remaining one keeps moving about the city and had become difficult for our technology to keep track off. But that is not the most interesting thing... It seems like two of those beings bear a reiryoku signature similar to that of the sample we were able to retrieve from this city's barrier."

That was interesting. Following his arrival in this city and the setup of the División de Ciencias' temporary laboratory, their equipment had detected a strange form of reiryoku that hung around the town. Other scientists would could have dismissed it as a natural occurrence, but Dexter had detected an anomaly within the data and set about finding out what had caused it. Now members of his division were studying it.

In a short time, they had been able to discover that the reiryoku in and around the town was unlike anything they had seen before. While ordinary reiryoku was composed of millions of tiny reishi particles, this reiryoku possessed an additional component. The problem was that they didn't know exactly what that component was. The reason for that was because when they took apart the reishi to try and study the component, it dissolved into nothingness. All they had been able to find, so far, was that the substance was somehow reliant on reishi.

After a moment of thought, Dexter handed over the test results to his subordinate. "Input these new datamodels A-2, B-2, C-2, D-2, and E-1. After that, assign at least three Arrancar to each model and have them examine it and come up with at least three different hypothesis based on it. I expect them to be done before I get back."

"May I ask where you are going Señor Dexter?" The black-haired Arrancar asked.

"I'm going to look up more of this city's history and then figure out how to tell Dama Harribel that she and her Fraccion will be required to go into the city and track down the people we have been able to detect. How long I am gone will depend on the results of my findings and how long it takes to convince Dama Harribel to go with it. Be sure that everyone is finished with their work by the time I come back."

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile—Wisconsin—Vlad Masters' Mansion)

At the moment, Vlad Masters could be found standing on his front porch as he waited for the Fenton family to arrive. He was thinking about the family of four as well—wondering if the two children would match up to the reports he had gotten about them and about Maddie.

_'Maddie...'_ The mere thought of that woman sent shivers down his spine, his heart flutter, and butterflies start to fly around in his stomach. If that fool Jack Fenton hadn't interfered, then he would never had to spend so much time in the hospital and away from her. Time that the fat fool had spent wooing _his_ rightful wife.

That would be rectified soon enough. While as innocent as this college reunion may seem, it was but a farce in the face of his true plan. A plan in which he would show Maddie how much he had gained since their time in college, impressing her, and hopefully rekindling the flame that they had once had. If all went well and something happened to Jack, well, it would certainly free Maddie to marry him after he managed to put her back together.

Vlad's dark musings were cut off by an obnoxious honking and he looked up. Approaching his mansion from its private driveway was a silver-green RV inscribed with the trademark Fentonworks logo on it. So, the Fenton family was finally arriving, hm?

Once the RV had pulled up, the door opened and two teenagers—Jasmine and Daniel, he presumed—emerged from it with small duffel bags held in their hands. Jasmine was truly her mother's daughter in how beautiful she was turning out to be and how intelligent she had proven herself to be. Daniel though, seemed to favor his... father's... side more than anything else: mediocre grades, butter fingers, and a budding troublemaker.

Vlad raised a single eyebrow in interest as he watched Daniel effortlessly pick up a rather large piece of luggage that his sister had. So, young Daniel was interested in improving his physical fitness? That was certainly a difference from his father, who never even thought of going to the gym or abandoning his precious snacks. Maybe there was hope for the boy after all.

"Vladdie!" Came Jack's bellowing voice as he rounded the side of the RV, smiling for all he was worth.

Vlad plastered a smile onto his face before making his way down the stairs to greet him, "Hello, Jack." He barely resisted the urge to stab the fat man in the back as Jack reached him and pulled him into a friendly hug. After all, while it would rid him of the oaf, he would make a bad impression on Maddie and the children. So he endured it until Jack reluctantly pulled away and tried to make polite conversation with the person that he hated more than any other in the world. "How have you been doing?"

"Just great! Maddie and I finally managed to create a stable Ghost Portal and come up with a process that allows us to use ectoplasm as ammo for our developing Anti-Ghost technology. And, just recently, we managed to capture our first Ghost." Jack said excitedly before deflating somewhat, "We haven't had the time to study him to further our understanding on Ghost Anatomy."

Vlad was surprised, too surprised to respond, which Jack took as a sign to continue talking about what "he and Maddie" had discovered. The Anti-Ghost technology had been an idea of his before the Proto-Portal incident, in response to wanting to be able to protect oneself against a Ghost. It had fallen onto the back-burner after what happened and what Vlad discovered about himself, but Jack had taken his pipe dream and was starting to turn it into a reality.

_'Jack doesn't have the brains to figure out the calculations that would enable such technology to work. It must have been Maddie.'_ Yes, now that made sense. Maddie had always been the brains of the operation back in college and that likely hadn't changed. After all, it was Maddie who had spotted the miscalculations in the Proto-Portal data and advised against turning it on until they had gotten them correct. A shame that Jack hadn't listened.

"Congratulations, Jack. I'm happy that you and Maddie have managed to come so far since we began that many years ago. Perhaps we can talk some more later? I doubt your children would want to hear two old men blathering on about Ghosts when we are supposed to be preparing for our college reunion tomorrow." Vlad said before spotting Maddie as she approached with Daniel and Jasmine, "It's good to see you again, Maddie."

"It's nice to see you to, Vlad. I hope that you have been doing well?" Maddie asked.

"I have been doing splendidly." Vlad had to resist adding that he was doing even better by just seeing her, but he wanted to subtly woo her. If he came on too strong, it would push her away from him. "Are these your children?"

"Yes. Why don't you introduce yourself to Mr. Masters?" Maddie said, directing the question towards her two children.

Jasmine smiled at him, "Hello, Mr. Masters. I'm Jazz."

"Nice to meet you, Jasmine." Vlad said as they extended and shook hands. He then turned towards Daniel, "And you, little badger?"

"I'm Danny. It's nice to meet you after hearing all of the stories Mom and Dad told us about you, Mr. Masters." Daniel said before they shook hands as well. Vlad noted that the boy's previous display of strength wasn't a fluke as it matched up to the boy's strong grip. "This is your home?"

"Indeed. It used to be the home of Wisconsin's "Dairy King" before his unfortunate passing. But I can tell you all more of that later as I'm sure that you're all very tired from your trip. Please come in." Vlad answered before he began to usher the family inside. He wanted to close the door in Jack's face but, alas, it would show the children and Maddie that he still held a grudge. So, he held open the door until Jack wandered inside and closed it behind them.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Manson Mansion—Sam's Bedroom)

Sam was laying down on her bed with her boot-clad feet hanging in the air, using her newfound ability to manipulate plants to play around with a freshly plucked flower from the garden. Every time she gave small tug at its spirit ribbon, the flower would move in the direction of the tug. It was actually not that dissimilar to a puppeteer moving around their puppets but, unlike them, her "strings" weren't noticeable to those without spiritual energy.

The rose's stem twisted around like a corkscrew before it slowly untwisted itself. Once that was done, the petals curled downwards until they overlapped with the sepals and, together, moved aside as the bud moved upwards. The rose's anther came together and sharpened into a small, thumbtack-sized point before hardening.

When Sam placed her fingertip on the anther, she found it to be slightly sharper than normal. This is what she was trying to do but it was not as sharp as she wanted it to be. Still, Sam realized she couldn't expect it to be perfect as she was only still learning how to use her new ability. She had also realized that if she hadn't known enough about plant anatomy, she would have never progressed this far either, as her ability was dependent upon her knowledge of what part of a plant she was trying to manipulate.

There was a sudden, quick series of knocks that caused Sam to lose her concentration due to her surprise.

Sam threw the modified rose into her bedside drawer before turning towards her door, seeing a shadow lying underneath it. Sam then visibly relaxed as she heard her grandmother's voice through the wood, asking if she could come in, Sam shut the drawer where the rose was kept and told her grandma to come in. The door to her room opened up, revealing an older, blue-eyed woman with her grey hair in a bun wearing a white blouse, a knee-length black skirt, and black slippers.

"Do you need anything, Grandma?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm fine sweetie. I just came to tell you that someone from the government is in the living room... She wants to ask you some questions about the Ghost attack that happened at your school. She says that you may know something as you and your friends were there the longest." Georgina Manson answered with a small frown "It's odd, though, that she would be coming so late... Inconsiderate, too."

Sam's heart skipped a couple beats in fear as her grandmother's words pierced through her like the bullets of a firing squad. A person from the government was here, in her house, wanting to ask her about the ghosts? Why now? Why come to question her now, unless...? Did they know? It wasn't possible but the fear was starting to chill her as if she had ice water in her veins. Did they know that she, Tucker, and Danny hadn't really been there, that they were actually in Axion Labs? And what if they did? What would happen to them if anybody else knew?

"Does she need to ask me now?" Sam asked, as she barely kept the unease out of her voice.

Georgina nodded, "Yes. She was quite insistent that she talk to you to get further knowledge about what happened when that Ghost attacked your school. But you don't have to worry about it sweetie," she said, having noticed Sam's discomfort, trying to be reassuring. "I'll be there with you. And if she starts asking too much personal questions well, government agent or not, I'll kick her out of the house myself."

"Thanks, Grandma." It wouldn't really help if the official knew what her paranoid thoughts supposed, but it was nice of her grandma to try and comfort her.

XXXXXX

The moment that Sam and Georgina walked into the parlor, the younger Manson saw that the official was already sitting down on the chair directly across the couch. The woman had tan skin, long yellow hair that had been made into three long braids, yellow eyebrows, and dark sunglasses over her face. She was wearing a black suit with a white shirt, a black tie, and polished black shoes.

"Hello there, Ms. Manson. My name is Tier Harribel." The blonde woman said. "I have some questions for you regarding the recent Ghost activities at your school, Casper High."

If the woman alone was enough to make Sam feel panicked, then her spiritual energy was enough to leave Sam feeling petrified. The moment that she had stepped into the room, it had come down on her like a ton of bricks, making her breathing more difficult until she was able to get used to it. It wasn't that much spiritual energy, especially compared to the amount that Danny emitted in his "Resurrection", but it had caught her off guard for a moment.

"Okay." Sam said, managing to keep the shake out of her voice and sit down on the couch at the same time as her grandmother did. Even if this woman had spiritual energy, it didn't automatically mean that she was an enemy until she did something antagonistic. So she would wait and keep her guard up, "What do you need to know, Ms. Harribel?"

Tier leaned forward, hands coming together to form a pseudo-cushion for her chin while obscuring her mouth from view. "I would like to know about the Ghost that attacked your school. Could you please describe the time and place where you first noticed the Ghost?"

"I was sitting down at a table in the cafeteria at lunch with my friends, Danny and Tucker. Dash came up and started to harass Danny because he had just received warning from our counselor, Ms. Penelope Spectra, that he would be kicked off the football team if he was caught bullying someone ever again." Sam said after a moment. "The Ghost appeared before things could get hostile, behind Dash, before the Ghost started to taunt him."

"Thank you, Ms. Manson. Now, could you please describe the Ghost itself? Clothing, skin color, hair color, eye color, what you were able to observe of its personality, and the Ghost's general behavior after the Ghost appeared?"

Sam thought about it, "Well... the Ghost called itself "Peten" and referred to himself in the third-person. He seemed to revel in the chaos he caused, laughing after everyone started to panic. I don't remember seeing anything of his skin, eye, or hair color as he wore clothing that completely covered all of it; a jester-like mask, a jester hat, clown-like clothing, and pointed shoes..."

"Okay. Is there anything else you would want to tell me about this "Peten"? Or any other Ghosts you may have encountered or seen in the past...? I believe that there was another incident where a meat-controlling Ghost attacked your football field during a school rally. Reports tell me that two Ghosts were present, but I wanted to ask you if that is true. Was there another, smaller Ghost?"

Sam felt the blood in her veins freeze at the question, the underlying current of _knowing_ in Ms. Harribel's voice. She knew! She knew there was another "Ghost", Danny, and was fishing for any information that she had about him.

When Sam didn't speak up for a moment, Georgina looked at her for a moment before turning her attention back to Ms. Harribel. "What does that matter to you, Ms. Harribel? I thought this meeting was to discuss what Sam saw during that recent attack in her school's cafeteria. Not about that other attack that happened over a month ago. My granddaughter probably doesn't even remember much about it."

"We believe that the two attacks may be connected. As you know, it seems as if the company known as Fentonworks has managed to create a device that allowed them to tear through the fabric of reality separating Earth from what they call the "Ghost Zone". This has been a boon in their research on Ghost but, unfortunately, it seems to have allowed Ghosts an easier way of getting through. A question that has been plaguing us is why, instead of fleeing to another area, the Ghosts that have come through so far have attacked places where teenagers are present."

"If you want an answer to that, I suggest that you ask the Fenton's themselves when they return from their trip." Georgina said.

Sam wished her Grandma hadn't said that. She didn't want this woman anywhere near her or her friends. Because if she started to dig, she could come up with inconsistencies or manage to uncover everything that they had been trying so hard to hide. And if the truth was uncovered and revealed to everyone, what would happen to them then?

"We are going to ask Mr. and Mrs. Fenton when they return to the city." Tier responded. "But, until they do, myself and the agents under my direct command have been assigned the task of finding out everything about the recent Ghost attacks." She looked at the two women, "It has become clear that something has been drawing those Ghosts to the locations, some form of connection, and we need to figure out just what that is. Sam here could have the knowledge of that connection, even if she doesn't realize it."

"I'm sorry Ms. Harribel, but I really don't remember another Ghost during either of those attacks. Each time, I ran away with my friends as soon as the Ghost appeared and started their attack." Sam said as politely as she possibly could.

Tier didn't say anything for a moment. Instead, she simply looked at Sam for a couple of moments. She then nodded and got up, grabbing her briefcase as she did so, before half-bowing to Sam and Georgina. "Very well, then. If you happen to remember anything you think is important, please don't hesitate to tell us about it."

Sam should've felt relief at Ms. Harribel's departure, and some part of her did when she could no longer feel the woman's spiritual energy, but she didn't. Instead, she felt a growing sense of unease. Someone was on to them, people like Ms. Harribel were starting to believe that Danny may be the connection between the Ghost attacks (which was somewhat true). If they kept digging... it would only be a matter of time before everything fell apart.

_'I have to warn the others.' _Sam thought.

XXXXXX

(A Few Minutes Earlier—Foley Residence—Living Room)

"How much more questions do you need to ask our son, Ms. Sung?" Violet Foley asked with a small frown.

After that disaster at Tucker's school and her son's explanation of where he had been, both elder Foley's had been sort of been expecting something like this. The Fenton's may have been stepping up to help the city deal with those so-called Ghosts, but everyone knew that the government was going to get involved. Ghosts possessed abilities that they had never seen except in fantasy and were capable of bypassing the majority of security/defensive measures that were currently in place.

So, while they had been expecting someone to come and question their son about what he had seen, they hadn't thought it would be so soon. Or late: couldn't government officials like this Ms. Cyan Sun come at an earlier time?

Cyan Sung-Sun looked at Violet for a moment before lowering her head, "I apologize, Mrs. Foley, but I need to ask your son these questions so that I can to get a grasp on the situation. In addition, I need to get as much details as I can about this situation from him as I can." She closed her eyes and sighed, "Before this year began, no one believed in Ghosts. Now that belief has been challenged by the number of Ghosts coming to our world and, in some cases, attacking the populace."

"... I can understand the difficult position that you are in Ms. Sun, but I'm just a little worried that all of these questions will dredge up memories that Tucker may not wish to remember." Violet said after subtly glancing over at where her unusually quiet son was sitting next to her husband. "Surely you can understand that I want to protect him from such things."

As Ms. Sun opened her mouth to respond to his mother's question, Tucker could only sit there and wait. His mother probably believed that he didn't want to "dredge up memories" that may have upset him and was trying to push them out of his mind, thus explaining to her why he was being quiet, but he wasn't.

Tucker was simply anxious. Ms. Sun had been asking a lot of pointed questions and, after he answered them, asked him to elaborate on points that he didn't think were that important. It made him worry about how much Ms. Sun and her "fellow agents" knew about him—how much they knew about Sam and Danny—and what they would do if they did know.

"I see." Ms. Sun said before looking at Tucker, "If you will allow me, Mr. Foley, I would like to ask you just a few more questions before I take my leave. Is that acceptable?"

"I guess."

After a few more minutes of answering the last of Ms. Sun's questions, Tucker felt a pulse of reiryoku and his body instinctively tensed. He glanced in the direction his fledging skills in reiryoku detection led him to believe the source of the pulse and found himself staring at Ms. Sun. The dark green-haired woman simply stared at him for a moment, thanked him and his family for their time, and slowly stood from the armchair before she picked up her briefcase.

_'Was that really you, Ms. Sun?' _Tucker thought. The look she had given him suggested that she could have released that pulse of reiryoku, but was that true? He had turned to face her suddenly and stared at her with who-knows-what passing across his face. For all he knew, he could just be getting paranoid.

The phone began to ring as his dad got up to escort Ms. Sun out of the living room and house.

"I'll get it." His mom said before moving to do just that, picking up the phone and putting it to her ear. "Foley Residence: Mrs. Foley speaking..." Recognition dawned in her blue eyes at the all-but inaudible voice that Tucker heard on the other end of the phone. "Hello, Sam. Do you need anything? I'm sorry, but Tucker can't talk right now: he's grounded. Do you want me to tell him anything for you...? Okay. Have a good night."

'_Sam? Why would Sam be calling now? I thought her parents had taken away her phone.'_ Tucker thought as his mom hung up the phone, looking confused as he turned to his mother. "What did Sam want, Mom?"

"She just wanted to talk to you. Since you're still grounded, I couldn't allow it so you'll have to talk to her tomorrow when you leave for that concert." Violet said with a small frown at the thought of the Remember Yesterday concert.

The idea of Tucker going to that concert after he had been grounded had been an issue between Violet and her husband. Violet had wanted to disallow Tucker from going, to really teach Tucker that there were consequences for not following their rules, but... her husband made some good points. Tucker had been grounded for a couple of days already, had apologized for his actions and had been striving to do better, and he had worked hard for his Uncle Fred to earn enough money to pay for it.

While his mom was thinking about the concert, Tucker was thinking about the reasons that Sam may have called. Her phone privileges, like his, had been taken away. And she usually didn't call him unless it was to talk about what they were planning to do later with Danny. With Danny gone and Sidney going to inspect the Ghost Portal, she had no reason to contact him. Or did she?

_'You're just being paranoid.'_ Tucker told himself, shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts.

XXXXXX

(Amity Park—Fenton Residence—The Lab)

At the moment, Sidney could be found kneeling near the entrance of the deactivated Ghost Portal. He had originally been a little excited to actually hear of an artificial portal and even more so when Danny had offered him the chance to examine it. Now, though, he was wishing he had read up before coming. He could understand a few things—modifications to objects and concepts that Tucker had showed or taught him—but everything else was beyond him.

"... I can't believe that two people made this." Sidney muttered to himself, awed. "It's really advanced."

During his seemingly endless entrapment within the facsimile of the 1950's Casper High, Sidney had often gone into the library in order to escape the rampant bullying of his peers. It was one of the only places where he could learn new things as, somehow, it possessed information that a basic Ghost should know—even if he had never been able to use that learned information, it was good to know. It was there that he learned of the rumors revolving around the Ghost King, Pariah Dark, and the realms of the dead.

What interested Sidney most was how the dimensions were structured. The Seireitei, Huceo Mundo, Hell, and the Ghost Zone were all dimensions that existed outside of the dimension that the World of Living did but still revolved around it. Of those dimensions, Huceo Mundo, Hell, and the Seireitei were not directly connected to the World of Living but could be accessed when a "pathway" of sorts was opened between them.

The problem with these pathways was that they couldn't always remain open and, as such, would eventually be forced to close. It was a good thing that they did too as, if too many of these pathways were opened at once or for too long, the dimensions would be pulled together and collide. It was one of the reasons why the fabled Kyōgoku, a naturally-occurring dimension between the World of Living and the Seireitei, had to be destroyed before it could cause the destruction of the Seireitei and the World of Living.

The Ghost Zone, however, was a little different when compared to the other dimensions. Instead of existing "outside" of the World of Living, the Ghost Zone resided "inside" the World of Living but in a separate dimension. It was because of this that, when the two dimensions came together for a brief moment, they created small natural portals in which the overlaps occurred.

Sidney had been able to use that knowledge in order to create a pathway between his personal hell and the World of Living. It didn't always work, something he still was a little bitter about, and had taken a lot of energy to activate, but... it had proved that it was possible to create an artificial portal. Personally, Sidney saw it more as a filter between the two overlapping dimensions but that was just his opinion.

The paper-manipulating Ghost's eyes suddenly widened in surprise as something occurred to him. '_Wait a minute... If this portal was designed to just open a window into the Ghost Zone... how could it have opened a path to a place like Hueco Mundo? It doesn't make any sense unless... Could it be possible that some cat messed with it?' _

"It seems odd that someone like you would willingly break into the home of people who have built a business on Ghost Hunting. But, then again, they're not home, are they? It would be the perfect opportunity to find out what they know and study what technology they have so you can counter it, right?"

Sidney startled at the voice before he slowly turned away from his examination of the Ghost Portal. By doing such he caught sight someone that he had never seen before leaning on the wall near the staircase that led back upstairs. He did, however, recognize the attire the woman was dressed in. _'An Arrancar.' _Only... she didn't have a mask fragment. "W-Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Emilou Apacci. What I want is simple—" In a flash, Apacci vanished from her previous position and reappeared in front of Sidney. Sidney startled and back up half a step which made the blue-haired Arrancar grin devilishly. "—information. And I think that you can give it to me."

Paper exploded out from Sidney in a thick wave, forcing Apacci backwards as Sidney moved closer to the Ghost Portal. With a slight gesture of his hands, the wave grew in intensity and quickly began to drag Apacci into itself. It wasn't enough as Apacci managed to pulse her reiryoku to blow the paper away from her and then used Sonido to move away, cursing to herself about her current limits as a trio of paper lances were just barely avoided.

"I don't think I know anything kooky enough that someone like you would want to know." Sidney stated as he brought his paper back and allowed it to coil around his feet like water as he waited for Apacci to make her move. "And I wouldn't tell you anyway. All you Arrancar are nothing but bullies."

Apacci scowled, "I guess I'll have to use force to get the information I want." A mere thought allowed her to materialize Cierva where there had been nothing and grabbed both chakram-like weapons out of the air before they could fall. "Prepare yourself then, Ghost. Pulsera Cuerno (Horn Bracelet)!"

With that exclamation, Apacci spun around a little before she released Cierva towards Sidney. The suddenness of the attack surprised Sidney, but he was able to bring forth a wall of paper to block the violently-rotating chakrams from reaching him. Which, considering the normal strength of Arrancar and their techniques, was surprising: his paper should not have been able to stop that.

_'Damn old man.'_ Apacci thought before she released another pulse of her available reiryoku which then connected with Cierva. It took but a thought to have the chakrams pull back before splitting up, racing around both sides of the paper wall and towards the Ghost. "Don't think you've beat me yet!"

"I would never think like that."

Apacci spun around towards the source of the voice, wondering when the Ghost had managed to get behind her, only to meet a sea of white. She didn't even have a chance to yell before it converged on and trapped her within a rapidly-rotating tornado. She tried to call back Cierva so that they could disrupt the Ghost's technique but, instead, heard them clatter to the ground as the tornado started to tighten around her body.

"Papier Typhoon (Paper Typhoon)." Sidney stated as he warily watched his technique continue on, looking for any hints that the Arrancar had somehow managed to avoid or negate his attack. It wasn't likely as he had knocked away her weapons before they could disrupt it and his paper was spinning a rapid speed. It would take something faster than that and then slip out during a brief moment, a technique that drained reiryoku, or something stronger than it for the Arrancar to break out.

In the next moment, Sidney found a sandaled foot in his stomach before he was sent flying backwards. He quickly went intangible and phased through the wall, flying back towards the lab when he had managed to recover. He phased through the wall and, eyeing her somewhat surprised look, unleashed three consecutive waves of paper at her injured form. While she had apparently used that speed technique, Sonido, it hadn't been fast enough.

Gritting her teeth, Apacci brought up both of her recovered Cierva so that their flat sides were facing the Ghost's incoming attack before channeling her remaining reiryoku through them. Cierva gained a red tint before her spiritual energy spread forth, forming into a circular red shield. The first wave of the Ghost's paper crashed into it a couple of seconds later, but her shield held strong. "Hah! What did you think you were—?"

The shield shattered upon the impact of the combined mass of the second and third wave, surprising Apacci even as was caught up within it. She managed to get one leg out of the paper, but when she tried to get her second leg out, she found that she was unable to do so. She then tried to move her arm so that she could fire a Bala at the paper and burn it off. That didn't work either as paper wrapped around it and her other arm, forcibly pulling her back into it.

"I know enough about you cats to know that giving you a chance to attack is a bad thing. And I know that attacking you isn't so good either as you're supposed to be really resilient or something." Sidney stated as he watched as Apacci slowly begin to sink underneath the surface of his paper. "So I had to trap you. Thus... Piège papier (Paper Trap)."

"B-Bastard..." Apacci cursed.

"I think that it's time I asked you some of my questions." Sidney pointedly ignored the title that Apacci had just given him and instead walked a little closer to the trapped Arrancar. "Why are you here? Are there any other Arrancar in Amity Park? If so, why? What brought you here?"

Apacci's mouth twisted into a sneer, "I'm not going to tell you anything."

Before Sidney could do anything else, the lights suddenly flickered on. No, that wasn't it: the lights weren't on. But then, why was the laboratory now being illuminated by light? Sidney eyes widened in realization—the Ghost Portal had somehow flared to life, obscuring the interior that Sidney had been examining with a dense wall of ectoplasm-infused reiryoku. The light was merely a byproduct of the unearthly glow cast by the portal.

A moment later, a large herd of ecto-bulls charged through the open Ghost Portal and, to Sidney's shock and disbelief, ran through the lab. He could only watch as they ran before, nearing the wall, they went intangible and phased through the thick material before vanishing completely.

_'What just happened...?'_ Sidney wondered as he stared at the space where the ecto-bulls had just run through. _'More importantly... how did that happen?'_ Coming out of it, he noticed all of the trampled papers and the distinct lack of a certain blue-haired Arrancar. "Where did she...? Of course! She must've escaped while I was distracted."

XXXXXX

"Let go of me you stupid bulls!" Apacci yelled as she hit the bull that was unwillingly carrying her away on the head with the sharp end of Cierva. It didn't work, however, as the bull continued its relentless charge and ignored her attack, dragging her trapped form—as she was clearly stuck onto one of its horns somehow—along with it. "Let go! I mean it!"

Apacci was grateful that the bulls had, in their stampede from that weird device, had trampled through the Ghost's paper and disrupted his focus. The combination had allowed her to wiggle out but, before she could escape, she had been caught by one of the bulls whose horns had sunk into the paper still wrapped tightly around her legs. And then they had somehow been able to charge through the walls like they weren't even there, which was an experience in itself, and out into the town.

Frankly, though, all she wanted to do was get off.

"Let go, let go, let go, _let go_!"

"Wow..." An unwanted, horrifyingly familiar voice called out from the left of Apacci's unthinking and unknowing captor as the owner of said voice ran besides the beast, amused. "I never thought you would lower yourself to ride on livestock. Or that livestock would lower themselves by allowing you to ride them, Apacci."

Apacci glared at the woman, "Can it, Mila-Rose!"

"Oh? And here I thought that you would want my help." Mila-Rose said before she stopped running and stepped away, allowing the bulls to begin putting distance in-between herself and Apacci. "See you later then. And remember to have _fun _A-pa-cci~!

"Wait! Mila-Rose! Don't leave me with these things!" Apacci cried as the bull continued to carry her away. Mila-Rose gave her a look she could barely see due to the widening distance but, when she did, Apacci frowned and had to swallow an instinctual flare of emotion. It would be of no use to be stubborn or prideful in her current situation. "Okay, fine_, _you win! Can you _please_ help me, Mila-Rose?!"

Mila-Rose allowed a victorious smile to appear on her face, "Of course I can, Apacci."

In the next moment, Mila-Rose vanished from her position through the use of Sonido and reappeared ten feet away from the heard of stampeding Ghost bulls. She lowered herself into a position that, when the bull carrying Apacci crashed into her, she could grab it on the sides. By doing this, she slowly brought the creature to a halt as her sandaled feet dug into the ground before stopping. Mila-Rose then infused her arms with her limited and hard-to-draw reiryoku to increase her strength before throwing the beast and Apacci into the air.

"What are you doing?!" Apacci screamed, "This isn't helping me at all!"

Mila-Rose scoffed before she disappeared again, reappearing beside Apacci and the bull as they fell towards the earth. With a simple tug, Apacci came free of the bull's horns. The paper on Apacci's legs began to fall off and flutter alongside the trio which made Apacci look at her fellow Arrancar in shock. Mila-Rose merely grabbed her mere inches away from the ground and used another application of Sonido to take them to safety.

Or at least, safety for Mila-Rose. Apacci, however was flattened by the Ghost bull as it landed on top of and knocked her to the concrete below. From that position, she heard Mila-Rose laughing at her and sent the brown-haired Arrancar a dirty look. Or, at least, she tried to. Her face was currently smashed against the concrete paving of a sidewalk while a tremendously heavy bull was sitting on her back.

_'I'll get her back for this. That stupid Ghost, too.'_ Apacci thought vindictively as Mila-Rose's laughter only increased in volume. _'Stupid cow. Still... at least Sung-Sun isn't here. Who knows what she would say about this situation. Probably something like—'_

"Just to think when my opinion of you couldn't get any lower..." Sung-Sun said with a small shake in her voice, as though she was struggling not to laugh. "... You do this. I can't believe how much an "udder" fool you've made of yourself."

The weight of the bull was suddenly removed from Apacci who had actually come to want it with the appearance of Sung-Sun. Knowing that it would only make itself worse on herself if she hesitated, she slowly got up off the ground. She then felt the pit of her stomach drop out from underneath her as, not only were both Sung-Sun and Mila-Rose there to bask in her humiliation, so was Tier. _'Why me?'_

* * *

><p><span>Poindexter's Encyclopedia<span>:

* * *

><p>"Welcome to another exciting edition of "Poindexer's Encyclopedia"!" Sidney greeted as his intangible form rose out from beneath the stage floor before becoming tangible again. The audience began to cheer while others began to exclaim over what he had just done. "You guys want to know how I did that? Well, sure! That'll tie in perfectly with what we'll be talking about tonight."<p>

Sidney then removed a remote control from his pocket and floated to the side before pointing the remote at a descending screen. "Today we'll be talking more about Ghosts. More specifically, we'll be talking about the natural abilities of a Ghost."

The audience erupted in noise at that admission. People in it began to look around at their fellow audience members and begin to chatter, excitedly talking to each other. It was easy enough to understand how Ghosts were formed and how they discovered and learned to control their unique powers—similar to a Shinigami or an Arrancar's Zanpakuto but without a mental representation/inner spirit—the other abilities that Ghosts had access to were harder to understand.

"As you all know, a Ghost is made out of reiryoku-infused ectoplasm that forms around the memories of an individual that enters the Ghost Zone. What you don't know is how Ghosts are able to perform or have access to the abilities we do—flight, intangibility, invisibility, and possession."

A picture appeared on the screen just then. It was of an intangible Ghost halfway through phasing through a wall.

"A Ghost is able to go "intangible" when they open a portal around their bodies that places them within a space between the Ghost Zone and the World of Living. In this state, a Ghost cannot be hurt by anything in those separate dimensions as they seem to phase through any and every attack sent at them." Sidney explained to his audience. "It cannot be held forever as both dimensions will begin to press on the Ghost from both sides, so it often used in short bursts to avoid damage or escape from a situation a Ghost gets caught in."

It took a couple of seconds for the first picture to fade and be replaced by the second; just enough time for the audience to begin digesting and slowly coming to understand what Sidney had just told them. When they did, they looked back up towards Sidney and saw that the picture on the screen was actually two. One was of the same Ghost in an alley while the next picture simply showed the alley.

"The next ability that Ghosts can use is invisibility. This is actually just a more advanced version of a Ghost's ability to control the ectoplasm that makes up their body. With it, they manipulate the ectoplasm in their body to blend in—in coloring and seemingly texture—with the area around themselves. It doesn't protect a Ghost from attacks, but it does allow them to hide, spy on people, and launch surprise attacks." Sidney said.

By the time that Sidney had finished speaking, the pictures on the screen had already faded and been replaced by another series of pictures. The first of these pictures showed a Ghost floating in the air above a Human on a random street. The next picture showed the Ghost diving towards the Human and the Human turning around. The third picture showed the Human's eyes widened but the Ghost gone. Finally, the last picture showed the Human's eyes glowing an ectoplasmic green.

"Possession is an ability that allows a Ghost to overshadow a victim of their choice." Sidney said with a small frown. "Ghosts can use this ability by breaking themselves down into a cloud of ectoplasm that quickly enters their victim through the nose, ears, or mouth. From there, the Ghost's ectoplasm will quickly wrap around and take over the victim's mind."

The audience was silent at this explanation. It was a scary thought, thinking that there was an entire race of supernatural beings that could invade their bodies and take control of them. Several began to think of ways that they could prevent themselves from becoming a victim; maybe they should give the Fenton family a call? They had begun to distribute Anti-Ghost technology so, surely, they had to have something that stopped Ghosts from possessing them.

Right?

"The final basic ability that a Ghost has access to is flight. Every spiritual race has, over time, developed their own way of staying in the air to allow them an advantage in battle. Shinigami and Arrancar spread out a thin layer of their reiryoku underneath their feet and Quincy utilize a version of their Hirenyaku technique to manifest a visible platform underneath them." Sidney began as a picture of a flying Ghost appeared on the screen. "Ghosts, however, don't do that. Instead, they manipulate their bodies' ectoplasm so that it is light enough for them to float in the air. Moving in that state allows them to fly around."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note:** Well, that's the end of that chapter. It might not have been the most interesting chapter, but things are starting to pick up. The Fenton's have met Vlad who, despite his love for Maddie, is smart enough not to show his hatred of Jack too much. Aizen's Arrancar have discovered Ghosts through the use of their technology, the internet, reading the newspapers. Tier & Co. are getting closer to the identity of the Arrancar they are chasing (even if they are just confirming the identities of the "High-Spec Humans")... and Apacci got carried away by Ghost bulls after losing to Sidney.

Bet you guys didn't see that coming!

But, seriously, we want to clear some things up. Tier & Co. have a limited access to their powers and are sealed within their Gigai. Not only does that mean their techniques, speed, and strength are reduced... they don't have their Hierro to protect themselves with. They can materialize their Zanpakuto and utilize basic techniques with them (even if they are much harder to do than normally) but they cannot release them.


	23. Chapter 23:

Disclaimer: We don't own anything.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."  
><em>'Someone is thinking.'<br>_"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter 23:<p>

* * *

><p>(The U.S.A.—Wisconsin—Vlad Master's Mansion)<p>

Danny's first thought of Vlad Plasmus was that he was a good guy.

The man's white hair made him look older which, when combined with how he acted and the eloquent manner in which he spoke, made him seem like modern day aristocrats you see at important events that normal people would never be able to attend. Still, the man hadn't been patronizing or ignoring him and Jazz in favor of talking to his parents so that was a plus to him. Another thing that spoke well of Vlad's character would be how he had offered to allow them to stay inside his mansion until the upcoming college reunion ended. Finally, no more sharing a small uncomfortable space and dealing with the combined snoring of his dad and Jazz.

After their bags had been taken away by some of Vlad's maids, Vlad began to lead them about on a tour of his mansion. He had told them that the place had originally been home to the wealthy entrepreneur of the dairy business, named the "Dairy King" of all things, before he had mysteriously passed on and the property went to market. It wasn't a stretch of the imagination to believe any kind of king, even if it was just a title, would live here considering how massive and extravagant the castle really was.

The first room that Vlad showed them was an expansive ballroom that he said would serve as the main area that the college reunion would take place in. Vlad explained that it would have to be redecorated and filled with some college memorabilia that he had said he had saved or bought recently. Vlad assured them that with the help of his staff it would look amazing when it was finished. He then showed them the library which Jazz gawked over, the movie theatre room which Danny and his dad gawked over, and various other cool rooms.

Finally after leading them through a couple more twist and turns through the long hallways, Vlad stopped before a large set of medieval-looking doors.

"I thought that I would save my favorite room for last." Vlad said as a small, prideful smirk appeared on his face. He looked at them once before he pushed the doors open with a flourish, "I believe that you and Jack will really appreciate this Maddie."

Once the doors were fully pushed open and the room was revealed, Danny and Jazz found themselves agreeing with Mr. Masters. Their parents would love this collection. The room was filled with various shelves full of old-looking objects, some looked like antiques from the old days of American history while others looked even older. Danny noted that a few of the objects had a faint green glow around them that silently pulsed as if to an unseen signal. Near some of the objects were various jars full of what they assumed to be preserved Ghost parts. The star of the lot however, would have to be the large metal cross hanging in middle of this collection in a large display case. The thing was practically a beacon of light in a dark room in terms of power when compared to the other objects in the room.

"Vladdie you dog, I thought that you said that you had given this up!" Jack said as he threw an arm around Vlad's shoulder, " All this time you've been pulling my leg."

Vlad shook his head and carefully lifted Jack's arm off his shoulder. "I'm sorry Jack, but I've put my interest with Ghosts behind me. I kept and expanded this collection of mine because, while I have given up Ghosts, I am still interested in the supernatural. And, well, part of me was unable to get rid of things that I had spent so long and worked so hard to acquire."

Danny noticed that Vlad's eyes flickered to his mom for a moment as he said that but quickly put it off as his imagination. Vlad wasn't interested in his mom; she loved dad and he knew that. To distract himself from that line of thought, Danny began to look around the room at all of the objects.

It wasn't an ideal way to distract himself as he felt a bit sick at the contents of some of the jars-what if the "samples" had been taken from Ghosts like Sidney?—but it would be rude of him to leave when Mr. Masters was still giving them a tour. And besides, not all of the stuff in the room was bad. There was an old colt revolver with crosses inscribed into it, a jewel encrusted hair pin, and a book that seemed to twitch every now and then.

After a few minutes of looking at the artifacts, Danny's eyes once again found the cross in the center of Vlad's collection. He didn't know why but that cross honestly drew Danny's attention unlike any other object in the room. Maybe it was because of how old it looked, how it was slightly damaged, or what he could sense about it but Danny knew for sure that the cross was more then what it appeared. While it didn't seem to hold reiryoku in it there was something about the cross that made his senses react to it.

"Ah, I see that you have noticed the Quincy Cross. It may not seem like much now, but it's rumored that this cross once belonged to a clan of German exorcists that existed a long time ago." Vlad stated as he walked away from Jack and towards Danny. "This was one of the few artifacts that of the clan that still exist. Very few artifacts still exist since the clan mysteriously disappeared over 200 years ago almost overnight."

"Does anyone know what happened to them?" Danny asked curiously.

Vlad sighed at the question, as if with disappointment, "Not exactly Daniel. This clan was great was said to be great in number and each member was said to be skilled in art of exorcism. This has spawned many myths about the clan's exploits—usually involving a member of the clan arriving in a town plagued by an evil spirit and then vanquishing it—but no one knows how or why the clan vanished." He looked up at the cross, "Some say that the evil spirits gathered together and attacked when they were weakest while others suggest that the clan's method of exorcism angered god and then god struck them down."

Danny felt a bit of a chill at the explanation. Evil spirits? Like Hollows? Those were the only type of evil spirits that he knew would probably terrorize villages, besides ghosts of course, and they weren't especially shy about attacking the living. Despite the fact that he hadn't actually met another Hollow before but Sidney's description of them and his own nightmares where he was one instead of an Arrancar gave him a general idea what they did to normal people. Still, would those exorcists have gone after him if they were still around?

Probably.

"Oh, look at the time." Vlad said after his wristwatch beeped and he looked at it. "It seems that the tour has gone on longer than I expected it would. Please, let me escort you to dinner and then show you the rooms you'll be staying in."

XXXXXX

(Wisconsin—Vlad Master's Mansion—With Vlad)

After everyone had finished the lovely three-course dinner that his cooks had made, Vlad had excused himself from the Fenton Family's presence and had ordered two of his servants to direct his guests to their rooms. He would have liked to escort Maddie to her room himself, but he hadn't been able to stand Jack's presence any longer. The very sight of the man made the same bitter hatred that he felt for many years wrap around his heart even tighter and the sight of Maddie's children filled him with the grief of what could've been his.

Still, that didn't mean that Maddie and the children wouldn't be his soon enough.

Once the reunion was over, Jack Fenton would no longer be a problem. It would be Vlad himself who comforted Maddie and the children in their time of need before slowly, ever so slowly, Maddie would fall in love with him. Vlad couldn't wait until that day.

Thinking of the children, Vlad had to admit that they had surpassed his expectations. Jasmine was a beautiful, intelligent, and rule-abiding female with a great future ahead of her. It wouldn't surprise him if she was accepted to Yale or Harvard and, if she wasn't, then she would be. Daniel on the other hand, seemed like a skinnier version of his father at first until Vlad had gotten to know him more. The boy had a good head on his shoulders and was generally pleasant to be around unlike his oafish father. There was the issue of Danny perhaps being slightly spiritually-attuned, but that could be expected considering that he had grown up in a Ghost Hunter household.

That wasn't to say that, suspecting this, Vlad wouldn't take the proper precautions. It wouldn't do if Daniel began to notice anything wrong with his servants or heaven forbid... himself; the boy could become distrusting of him and make the time he had to spend trying to make Maddie fall in love with him much, much longer.

"Silvia!"

Hearing his call, Vlad's personal servant/maid that he had stationed outside of his study opened the door and walked inside. The woman, Silvia, had unusually sea foam-colored eyes, shoulder-length brown hair underneath a white maid's cap, a black dress with a white maid's apron, white socks, and black shoes. "Yes, Mr. Masters?"

"I wanted to inform you that I expect all of the preparations for the reunion done by mid-afternoon tomorrow." Vlad said before he leaned forward, hands coming to rest underneath his chin. "In addition, I want this to be done without anyone alerting the Fenton Family to our unusual natures. I'm not sure about the rest of the family, but Daniel seems to be a tad spiritually-attuned."

"Of course, sir." Silvia readily agreed.

Vlad made a dismissive gesture and then watched as Silvia quickly phased through the wall of his study to go inform all of his other servants about his orders. It miffed him a little bit that she hadn't bothered to close the door, but he could reprimand her latter. Now though he just wanted to think about some of the finer details to his master plan and think about the day when Jack Fenton would be dead. The day that Maddie would become his wife and, together with her children, become a family.

XXXXXX

(The Next Morning—Vlad Master's Mansion—With Danny)

The room that Mr. Masters had provided for him had everything that he would need until his parents' college reunion was over. It had a nice dresser for his clothes, a window with an excellent view of the garden that Mr. Masters apparently kept, decent if a little old decorations, and an awesome bed. The bed itself had been one of the most comfortable things that Danny had ever slept on.

Normally, it wouldn't be so weird that he would have woken up feeling so refreshed, especially after sleeping in such a nice bed, but it was. You see, he hadn't really been "sleeping". No, he had been training with Leviatán inside of his Inner World while his body had been sleeping.

From what Leviatán had told him, he wouldn't get physically stronger while training in his Inner World but his control over his powers would get better. He would also apparently learn how to use them more "creatively", sort of like how he had begun to try and change the shape and size of his Cero. All in all, it suited him just fine; in his previous fights, he usually ended up before knocked unconscious with barely energy left because he had wasted so much or didn't know how to use what he knew properly.

"At least I can start using proper Hollow skills now..." Danny muttered as he changed out of his pajamas and into his usual clothes._ 'Leviatán is really helping me out by explaining how to do everything and what I've been doing wrong... Still, he doesn't have to sound so smug about it.'_

_"How is it that I'm "smug" when I talk to you? Is it because I know more than you consciously do about your powers and how they work? Or do I sound smug as I help you learn what I already know so that you can do better whenever you face an enemy in the future?" _Leviatán asked lightly and Danny could practically hear the smirk on the dragon's lips as he spoke.

Ouch.

_'... I thought you were sleeping.'_ Danny answered back in his mind.

_"Why would I do that? No matter how nice this place is, it is technically enemy territory."_ Leviatán replied. A trace of humor entered the inner spirit as he then continued, "_Considering your track record, it wouldn't surprise me if something were to happen on this trip." _He paused for a moment before continuing on._ "And don't think I will forget about you calling me "smug"."_

_'I'm sorry?' _Danny tried to placate the spirit.

_"Nice try, but apologizing now isn't going to save you."_

Danny tried to apologizing to his inner spirit, to avoid getting more training from hell, but Leviatán ignored him causing Danny to give up after a couple moments. Danny shivered as he remembered the last training session from hell as Leviatán practically froze him solid with his breath and told him to "be one with the ice". As Danny left the room he felt as if he was going to meet certain doom.

Trying to put the feeling out of his mind, Danny began to walk towards where he remembered the kitchen and dining rooms to be. On the way though, he couldn't help but notice how quickly Mr. Masters' servants were going about their jobs and how it seemed all-but effortless to them. He lost track of how many of the staff he had seen coming and going around which was since they almost seemed to disappear whenever he wasn't looking.

When Danny finally reached the dining room he noticed that everyone was already there. Jazz had her nose deep in a psychology book while his parents were talking to Mr. Masters about their battle against the Lunch Lady. Danny could have added a few things to their conversation— after all he had been the one to defeat and use the Fenton Thermos to capture her—but he certainly wasn't going to say anything that could lead his parents to discovering about him. Mr. Masters looked vaguely bored with the conversation but when his parents began describing how "he", or at least him when he was in his Arrancar form, was battling the Lunch Lady he become more interested in the story.

"Do you know what happened to the Ghost? From the sound of it, it could cause a lot more damage if it were to attack again." Vlad asked with a small grin on his face.

Jack shook his head at that, looking more than a little depressed, "No. All that we know about it was that it had the capability of speech, took on a form reminiscent of a lunch lady, and had the ability to control meat. It seemed to be fighting something before Maddie and I arrived. We suspect that it was fighting with another Ghost and that one defeated the other. It's also possible that they both retreated before we could capture them, but we were able to get some samples of the Lunch Lady Ghost's energy."

"Did you get a glimpse of that other Ghost?" Vlad asked, somewhat curious "Or why it was fighting the "Lunch Lady"?"

Danny twitched.

"Not really. While we haven't seen the Lunch Lady ghost we have seen the other one around, so we believe that it either destroyed or drove off the Lunch Lady. So far we have dubbed it the "White Ghost" due to its white hair and white clothing. It seemed capable of moving around quickly and using its ectoplasm to create a massive, energy blasts... but that's it." Jack said with a frown. "We've heard some rumors about it appearing around town. Some say it's the ghost of a samurai based on its sword, others say it's an ancient demon that's always been in the city but we haven't found anything concrete yet."

"One of the rumored sightings happened around the city's junkyard. It seems like the White Ghost fought another Ghost there, we don't know the reasons why though. There weren't any witnesses but the day afterwards over half of the junkyard had been destroyed and there was residual ghost energy all around the junkyard." Maddie paused as Vlad turned to her, thinking about what she was going to say. "It seems to us that the White Ghost has claimed the town as its territory and hunts down any other Ghosts that enter it in order to expel them from it. It's almost like a predator protecting its territory from other predators"

_'I don't go purposefully hunting down Ghosts!'_ Danny thought as he unsuccessfully tried to ignore the conversation by digging into his breakfast. _'The fights usually start because they either hunted me down or there was some sort of misunderstanding.'_

"That's really interesting, Maddie." Vlad said with a small smile. "I know I said that I was out of the business, but would you mind if I came to see the town sometime to try and investigate that White Ghost?"

A cold chill went down Danny's spine as Vlad said that. It wasn't the idea that his parents were giving away information on his supernatural activities or even the way that Vlad had asked the question. It was the look in his eyes as he said it that gave Danny the chills. When Vlad had begun talking about looking for his alter ego there was a dark flash of something that flickered in his eyes for just a moment before it was gone. That didn't stop Danny from noticing it though, it wasn't anything he had ever seen before, not even from the worst of his foes, and honestly it frightened him.

Vlad's attention then turned to Danny and Jazz as he started to talk again. "So tell me Daniel, Jasmine, do you share your parent's enthusiasm about the supernatural?"

Danny was about to answer Vlad's question but Jazz spoke first. "Hmph. Just because other people are beginning to delude themselves into thinking Ghosts exist, it doesn't mean I will." She muttered and either missed or ignored the flash of hurt in her parents' eyes before going back to her book. "I'd rather do something worthwhile."

"You don't think they're real?" Danny asked incredulously. How could Jazz not think that Ghosts were real after all that had happened? Sure, she hadn't been there with him through everything that had happened to him, Sam, and Tucker but she had been there for other events. "What about when the Lunch Lady attacked at the rally or when that other Ghost attacked during lunch? If Ghosts didn't attack during those times, then what did?"

Jazz was silent for a few moments at that. To be completely honest, Jazz didn't have an explanation for those two events. No matter how many times she tried to examine the events rationally she kept coming up with the fact that her parents might have been right; that Ghosts existed. Her pride, however, wouldn't let her accept that fact. She had spent too long trying to rationalize the world, too long separating herself from her parents, just to have the fact that Ghosts might actually existing make all of her efforts wrong.

Her mind wouldn't acknowledge that, even if it was the truth.

"It was probably a case of mass hysteria." Jazz began to say, sounding more and more sure of herself as she continued to talk. "The protesters at the rally probably became too violent and tried to use a Ghost as an excuse for the damage that was caused. I'm also sure that whatever may have happened at the school wasn't the work of ghosts. Someone probably just yelled there was a ghost so they could get out of class."

Danny was struck speechless for a few seconds. In just a **single **explanation Jazz had simply talked away the danger that everyone had been in as if it was their fault to begin with and then tried to use a pathetic excuse to cover it up. The shock wore off as a red-hot anger began to spread through Danny's veins.

"Just because you don't want to believe that they exist doesn't mean that Ghosts don't, Jazz." Danny said, straining himself not to yell, before he stood up from the table and glared at his sister. Normally this wouldn't intimidate anyone, but this time it did. "And Mom and Dad are doing something worthwhile; they're helping people find up with ways to protect themselves against Ghosts instead of burying their heads in the sand!"

With that said, Danny spun on his heel and marched out of the room before he could say anything else that he would regret later. He was already angry enough as he is, but he knew things would've gotten pretty ugly if he didn't leave right now. He had snapped at Jazz, yes, but it hadn't been bad as some of the hurtful things he could have said to her in that moment.

In what seemed like no time at all, after backtracking through the maze-like hallways of Mr. Masters' mansion, Danny finally made it back to the bedroom that Vlad had said he could use. He fell onto the bed before flipping over, still feeling a little angry, but also a little guilty at what had just happened. He shouldn't have snapped at Jazz like he did but he couldn't believe how she was trying to rationalize everything and like he said, "bury her head in the sand".

To distract himself, Danny pulled out his cellphone from his bag, opened it, and saw that he had several messages from Tucker and Sam. "I wonder what the guys could want...?" He wondered as he went to the messages screen and started to scroll through them.

What could have they been up to since he'd been gone?

XXXXXX

(A Few Hours Earlier—Amity Park—Folely Residence)

"What do you mean that you were attacked?!" Sam demanded of Sidney, who was sitting on her bed within her golden prinny plushy.

Sidney looked down at his peg legs, "I was in the Fenton's Laboratory and was just about to leave when a woman appeared. She said her name was Emilou Apacci and that she wanted information before attacking me. She was really strong and had these kooky weapons she could control like boomerangs. I caught her with Piège papier, but I wasn't able to ask her some questions because some bull Ghosts ran out of the portal and took her away with them."

"Do you think the bulls were working with her?" Tucker asked.

Hey, it might've sounded crazy but Tucker thought it was a good question considering everything that had happened. He had witnessed a Ghost control vast amounts of meat, control metal, control and cause mutations within technology, had a best friend capable of shooting destructive beams and walking on air, had another that could control plants, and his own abilities. It wouldn't surprise him if that female Ghost could control animals and had called them in to help her.

"No, I don't think the bulls were working for her. The Ghost Portal just opened up and the bulls ran out of it and she just got lucky." Sidney answered with a small shake of his head before sighing. "Animal Ghosts generally don't listen to anyone so they may have just been passing through. Besides i doubt they would work for an Arrancar—"

"—Wait." Sam interrupted. "What did you just say?"

Sidney looked at them strangely, "Didn't I say the cat was an Arrancar?"

"No, you didn't." Tucker said as he leaned closer to Sidney. "Generally most people would've started with that information before anything else."

"And how do you know that the woman was an Arrancar anyway?" Sam asked quickly. She wasn't trying to imply that Sidney could be wrong, as he was the one that had seen his attacker, but mistakes could happen. And if there really was another Arrancar in town... what could that mean? "She could've just been a Ghost or one of those other beings you told us about."

"No that cat was definitely an Arrancar. She was dressed in the same uniform that Danny wears, she didn't act like a ghost, and she couldn't use any Ghost abilities." Sidney told them compete confidence in his voice. "I didn't want to believe it either but all of that combined with how her reiryoku felt made me sure that she was an Arrancar."

Silence descended upon the group at what Sidney had said.

What was there to say? Each of them now knew that there were other Arrancar out there—obviously hostile Arrancar since she had attacked Sidney without that much provocation—but none of them had ever expected for one to show up here. They had grown too used to only have to worry about Ghosts popping up after sneaking through the Fenton Ghost Portal. They never considered that other Arrancar would show up and now that one had none of them knew what to do about it.

First of all they didn't know the other Arrancar's motives were. They knew that she wanted information that she thought Sidney had, but that could be because of where he was when she met him. And now that she had escaped, she could recover from her battle with Sidney before using that sonar-like technique to try and find him.

"... Maybe she and those government people are working together." Tucker mused aloud, breaking the silence.

Now it was Sam's turn to look at her friend like he was crazy, "What makes you think that?"

"Think about it." Tucker said to Sam. "Danny leaves for his parents' reunion then, only a few hours later, two female "government agents" show up at our houses and ask us for information about the ghost attacks. While the two agents keep us distracted, Sidney gets attacked by someone who was snooping around Danny's house." He then turned to giving Sam a pointed look. "And didn't you say that you felt some weird spiritual energy coming from the agent that was interrogating you?"

"... Yeah, it was weird it was sorta like Danny's but more... flowing." Sam admitted, almost unsure about what she really saw.

"It's too big of a coincidence to ignore... it all makes sense if you put it all together; those three women are working together." Tucker said, completely sure of his theory. "Whoever these women are they could have posed as government agents to get information and keep us busy while the other one went to go examine the Fenton's Ghost Portal. Only she didn't expect that Sidney was there so she took the easy way out and attacked him to get the information she wanted."

"That... that actually makes sense." Sam said after thinking over what Tucker had said.

"What would those cats want with the Ghost Portal, though?" Sidney mused with a small frown on his beak. "As far as I know, Ghosts and Arrancar don't get along and generally leave each other alone. Why would they want with the Ghost Portal?"

After thinking about it for a moment Sam's face twisted in horror as she came to a horrible realization. "I don't think that they're looking for Ghosts, guys." She told her friends as a feeling dread began to curl around her heart, "I think they might be looking for Danny—"

Tucker and Sidney's eyes widened at this but before they could say anything the sound of footsteps distracted them. Sidney froze for a few moments then went limp in his doll just as the door opened up, reveling Tucker's dad with a small grin on his face.

"Tucker I know that your mother and I Said that you were ground but you'll never guess what's going on!" Mr. Foley as his grin grew wider. "That band you like pulled up and is preparing to have a concert down the street at the park! If you're back by sundown I can look the other way for a few hours."

"You mean Ember's going to be there? That's awesome!" It was not a secret that Tucker had a crush against the blue-haired singer and loved her band's music. It kind of made Sam wish he hadn't heard of the band at all because, when he did, he could turn into an Ember fan-boy. "I wonder if I can ask her to sign a copy of the band's newest album? Or my hat. Maybe even both..."

"Tucker..." Sam warned.

"I know how much you seem to like it and, after talking about it with your mother, I was able to convince her to end your punishment a little bit early so that you could go to this new concert." Mr. Foley all-but beamed, forgetting to mention the official concert that would be held that night. "So you guys better get going before that little concert ends."

"Thanks, Dad!" Tucker said before he jumped off his bed. He rushed over to his desk, grabbed his PDA, the Remember Yesterday "Ember" Album, and gave himself a quick once-over. He made to walk out of the room, but stopped when he noticed that Sam wasn't with him. Turning, he smiled. "Let's go, Sam! This concert will be really awesome!"

"Weren't we just talking about something, Tucker?" Sam asked with gritted teeth.

"Yeah, but we can talk about that stuff after the concert!" Tucker replied before he grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her to his feet, "Now, c'mon Sam! _Ember_ is waiting for us!"

Mr. Foley nodded, "Whatever you guys were talking about can wait for now." He gestured towards the open doorway, "So go to the concert and enjoy yourselves. I'm positive that both of you will have a really good time!"

"... Alright, I guess."

XXXXX

(Meanwhile)

_'The seals are breaking?'_ Dexter thought disbelievingly.

Despite his disbelief, there was no denying the evidence that his latest examination of the four sealed Arrancar presented him with. The seals that bound the four of them to their Gigai were breaking, albeit at an incredibly slow pace. If it wasn't for the slight deterioration in Emilou Apacci's own seal, he probably wouldn't have noticed that the seals were breaking down.

How, though?

How were the seals breaking? Why? Judging from the reports that Dama Harribel and her Fracción had been able to give him, the seals were able to function by using the reiryoku that they drained from their hosts to fuel themselves. In addition to that, the seals acted like "limiter" on the four's power by making their reiryoku very difficult to draw on and wield. So how—why—were the seals deteriorating?

It should have been impossible. Another part of Dexter's mind argued that it should have been impossible to seal Dama Harribel and her Fracción to their Gigai in their first place. Arrancar like Dama Harribel could easily break out of most Kido that Shinigami could cast, even if the higher levels took a couple of seconds or a minute to break, and he assumed that she had been teaching her Fracción how to do that as well. It wouldn't be as good as Dama Harribel's was, but the corrosive nature of their reiryoku—

Dexter's eyes widened.

How could he have been so stupid?! Hollow reiryoku by its very nature was corrosive. Arrancar reiryoku, though tempered by silvers of Shinigami-esque reiryoku, still possessed that same corrosiveness. In high even doses, Hollow reiryoku would be able to corrode Shinigami Kido until they broke or weakened enough for an Arrancar to break it themselves or escape from it.

It was no wonder that the seals were deteriorating; even if Dama Harribel and her Fracción had a hard time accessing their reiryoku, their reiryoku was actually corroding the seals binding them. It also explained why Emilou Apacci's seal was different than the others. She had used a lot of her reiryoku to battle one of the "Ghosts" that his division had been able to detect with their equipment and, naturally, the usage had caused further deterioration.

That meant that the method to break the seals was simple: channeling reiryoku. To think he and the others had been so foolish as to ignore such a simple solution despite it staring them in the face the entire time. He had assumed that it would be different than a Shinigami's Kido because it was a Human had cast it. And so he and his men had come up with increasingly convoluted ideas on how the seals worked and methods they believed would break them.

* * *

><p><span>Omake: The Reactions<span>:

* * *

><p>(Huceo Mundo—Las Noches)<p>

At the moment, one could find the Espada together in their customary meeting room while waiting for Dios Aizen to arrive. The reason the meeting had been called was to discuss what had happened to one of their members and the possible existence of another spiritual race. Unfortunately, however, without Dios Aizen being there the conversation went south.

"Tch. Shows just how strong Tier is if she was able to be defeated by a Human of all things." Grimmjow said with a somewhat gleeful expression on his face, wishing he had been assigned to the Human World so that he could rub it in Tier's face. And maybe, if he was in the Human World, he could show her how powerful a high-ranking Arrancar should be? "Even my weakest Fracción wouldn't have had to break a sweat to kill a Human..."

If Grimmjow had been able to, he would've already found his way to the Human World to get rid of the four women. Arrancar that showed weakness were often preyed upon and/or killed by other Arrancar. It was hard to do while within Las Noches—as "Dios Aizen" wanted as much Arrancar for the inevitable attack on the Shinigami—but accidents could happen. And if an "accident" happened to an Espada that had showed himself/herself to be weak, well, so much the better.

"I would have liked to study them and this Human, but I suppose Dexter is doing a good enough job." Szayel remarked with a false smile. He would have loved to tear that usurper's arms from his body and beat him with them, but Dios Aizen had assigned him to another project. It couldn't be because of that incident with the former Tereca Espada, right? _'Even if the little shit hasn't managed to capture that Human.'_

"Who cares about any of that shit?" Nnorita Gilga demanded of the scientist with a sneer, "What matters is that woman was defeated by a fucking Human! Never before has an Arrancar been defeated by a Human and I won't stand for an Espada to be so weak." He leaned back in his chair and gripped the edge of his dual-headed, crescent moon-shaped scythe. "I say we eliminate the woman before rumors start spreading. Or," He spat out, "we could demote the bitch."

Following this suggestion came a silence that enveloped the rest of the room. There was no denying it; despite all of differences in their personalities and their outlooks on life, they were all considering what had happened. Should they request Dios Aizen to strip the Tereca Espada of her rank, making her a Privaron Espada? Or should they try to eliminate the woman to prove their own power and, hopefully, be able to take her coveted seat?

"It doesn't matter what we think." Coyote Starrk said after a moment, resting his head in his arms with a bored expression. "Only Dios Aizen will be able to decide what happens to Dama Harribel. So please stop arguing about it; I'm trying to take a nap."

"Who says that fucking Aizen has to make all of the decisions?" Nnorita growled as he stood up from his chair and knocked it over in one move, "He's not the—!"

Nnoitra was unable to finish his statement. Some of the gathered Arrancar wondered what he would have said and, if un-interrupted, how far would he have gone. Still, that didn't matter. It didn't matter because Dios Aizen had somehow entered the room without being detected and, hearing Nnoitra begin to speak against him, decided to show _why_ he was in charge. It wasn't the promises of power or revenge against Shinigami, the dream of a civilization of Arrancar, no... it was through sheer force of strength and how he used it.

"Now, now Nnorita... please calm down" Dios Aizen smiled thinly, cold eyes glinting as he stared at Nnoitra's gasping form. He waited a moment before increasing the force of his reaitsu, forcing the black-haired Arrancar to start choking on air. Only when the unruly, foul-mouthed male had managed to get out a weak, insincere apology did he lower the pressure. "Now that everyone has calmed down, I would like to discuss what happened to your sister and what it means."

Nnoitra went to open his mouth, but stopped when a sliver of pressure began to build. _'Bastard...!'_

"For the first time in recorded history, an Arrancar was defeated by a Human. Not by a Quincy, but by a Human." Dios Aizen steepled his fingers and looked around. "More importantly, that Human was able to battle on a level comparable to an Espada."

"Why don't we demote the Tereca?" Aaroniero Arruruerie asked in that odd dual-toned voice that he possessed, tilting his head as he considered the idea. "Dama Harribel has proven, through that conflict, that she wasn't strong even to handle a Human. So how would Dama Harribel she be able to handle a Shinigami Captain or Vice-Captain?"

Aaroniero was asking that as, like most other Arrancar, he had never witnessed Dama Harribel in combat. He had heard rumors, yes, but he had never saw the proof to back those rumors up. In addition, it wouldn't be the first time that Dios Aizen picked favorites and assigned people to places they didn't belong in. It was ironic considering his own position as a Natural Arrancar (who had been a Gillian before he had removed his mask), but it was true.

"You are thinking that your sister is weaker than what an Espada should be, but she isn't. Tier Harribel may be a Natural Arrancar, but she was a Vasto Lorde before she became one of us." Dios Aizen stated to the shock of several of the people who were doubting Tier's power. "The only reason that she could have lost, even in a weakened state, by a Human would be because that Human had managed to reach her level."

Finally, one of the Espada spoke. "So what if some Human managed to become powerful? We'll eliminate him and anyone who stands in our path!" Grimmjow slammed his hands on the table for emphasis and glared directly at Aizen. "So why the hell should we care about it?"

"I don't believe you have realized the situation yet, Grimmjow." Ulquirroa Cifer said before he turned to look at his fellow Espada. "If that Human was powerful enough to defeat four weakened Arrancar, why not kill them while he had the chance? Why hide behind a barrier neither Shinigami or Hollow has met before? Why not kill the Arrancar that had been hiding out in his town?" A small pause. "Either the Human didn't want to be found and tried to avoid conflict until he sensed an invasion of hostile forces or that he has been hiding the Arrancar and helping it."

Silence descended upon the room.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **Well, here is the newest chapter! We both hope that you guys enjoyed it as well as the Omake. In addition, we would like to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews. If you feel the need to point something out, offer a suggestion, or just tell us your thoughts... do it! We are directly inspired by you, dear readers, and it encourages us whenever we hear back from you.

Sorry about the update rate, though. Both of our lives have been a little busy (high school/college classes, graduation, summer camps and activities, moving to different locations) so we didn't have as much time to work on our stories as we had before.


	24. Chapter 24:

Disclaimer: We don't own anything.

* * *

><p><span>Legend<span>:

"Someone is talking."  
><em>'Someone is thinking.'<em>_  
><em>"A technique is being used."

* * *

><p>Chapter 24:<p>

* * *

><p>Remember Yesterday was a popular American pop rock band that was formed by lead singer Ember McLain, drummer Tomas Wispy and keyboardist Zeke Hule. The band was relatively new though it had quickly gained popularity due to their debut album's soundtrack. It was that popularity that had led to the band's music producer arranging for them to go on a country-wide tour.<p>

So far, the band had visited six states and at least twelve different cities. If not for circumstances outside of the band's control, Amity Park, Illinois would have just been another city. As it was, Remember Yesterday had shocked the populace by revealing that they would be holding two concerts as opposed to the single concert they had planned on doing. And, as this new concert was being held within an easily-reached location and there was no cost of admission, their fans had flocked to the area.

It was around 10:00 am when Remember Yesterday's concert began. To the delight of their fans, the band began with the star of their Ember debut album; "Remember". Despite its spirited opening, the song was sad and full of remembered pain.

_Yeah, Oooooooo_

_It was, it was September,_  
><em>Wind blow, the dead leaves fall.<em>  
><em>To you, I did surrender,<em>  
><em>Two weeks you didn't call.<em>

_Your life goes on without me,_  
><em>My life, a losing game.<em>  
><em>But you should, you should not doubt me,<em>  
><em>You will remember my name.<em>

_Ohh Ember, you will remember._  
><em>Ember, one thing remains,<em>  
><em>Ohh Ember, so warm and tender,<em>  
><em>You will remember my name.<em>

_Your heart, your heart abandoned,_  
><em>You're wrong, now bare the shame.<em>  
><em>Like dead trees, in cold December,<em>  
><em>Nothing but ashes remain.<em>

_Ohh Ember, you will remember._  
><em>Ember, one thing remains,<em>  
><em>Ohh Ember, so warm and tender,<em>  
><em>You will remember my name.<em>

_Ohh Ember, you will remember._  
><em>Ember, one thing remains,<em>  
><em>Ohh Ember, so warm and tender,<em>  
><em>You will remember my name!<em>

As Remember Yesterday finished, the crowd began to chant. "Ember! Ember! Ember!"

It was only Ember McLain's firm control over her powers that prevented the blue-haired singer's hair from flaring in response to the crowd's chant. While it was true that she could infuse her spiritual energy into music to produce a variety of effects, her true power lay in her "Scandant Autonomisation (Chanting Empowerment)". Like its name suggested, it was an ability that empowered her when people began to chant her name. She had discovered no limits on this ability so far which allowed her to continue becoming stronger as more and more people chanted her name.

This ability would be the key to Remember Yesterday's plot. To finally achieve their shared, long-held dream of a Youth Revolution.

Once Ember had become powerful enough, she would be able to cast an illusion that would encompass the Human World. The illusion would hypnotize everyone caught within it, and while the Humans were unable to do anything, Remember Yesterday would begin their eradication of the adult regime. It would take some time to accomplish considering just how much a stranglehold they had on the planet, but it could be done.

If Ember had been thinking clearly after she, Zeke, and Tomas had escaped the Ghost Zone, they could have already begun their Youth Revolution. She had plenty of time to start it though, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she hadn't done so. Or why she had convinced Zeke and Tomas to pretend to be Human musicians. Maybe her brains had been scrambled when she had left the Ghost Zone.

There was something else. too. Ember couldn't put her finger on exactly what was bothering her, but something felt off. Something felt wrong. It was stupid considering just how well everything seemed to be going, but the blue-haired musician couldn't quite shake the feeling.

XXXXXX

Sam Manson hadn't wanted to attend the concert that Mr. Foley had told them about. She would admit to liking the band's style of music and dress, but she didn't idolize them. In addition, she didn't see the point of going to a concert when she, Sidney, and Tucker had so much to talk about and things to plan.

There were at least three "government agents" that had appeared in town. It would have been alarming enough if they were merely agents wanting to learn more about the recent string of ghost attacks, but those "agents" weren't human. They were Arrancar. And, judging from the questions they had asked and how one of their group had attacked Sidney, it could be surmised that they hadn't come with peaceful intentions in mind.

Or, at least, they didn't have peaceful intention towards anyone who got in their way.

Sam had eventually given in. It had been lucky that her parents had allowed her to visit Tucker while she was grounded. That Mr. Foley had talked with his wife and her parents in order to allow them to go to a concert while they were still being punished was amazing. And if she and Tucker hadn't taken that opportunity to go to the concert while they could, it would seem very suspicious.

And, Sam had reasoned to herself, it would give them time to talk about what they would do once the concert was over. It would allow her to begin to relax after they had managed to come up with a plan of action though she also knew that she wouldn't be able to truly relax until the threat had been taken care of. For now, all she could do now was act like everything was normal.

It was at that time that Remember Yesterday finished playing and the crowd around the black-haired teenage erupted. People began to chant Ember McLain's name which brought a small smile to the blue-haired singer's face. Sam shook her head at the display, but had to admit, if only to herself, that she had actually enjoyed the song. Remember wasn't her number one favorite song though it was definitely within her top ten song.

"Sam… " Tucker muttered, "Something's up."

Sam wanted to do a lot of things. She wanted to laugh in his face, to ask if he had really just figured it out, but she held her tongue. It wouldn't be fair to take her frustration over the situation out on Tucker. Still, a hint of annoyance crept into her tone as she whispered back. "What's wrong?"

"I think that something's up with the band. Haven't you noticed that Ember hasn't been singing as well as she usually does?" Tucker asked. He looked towards the center of the crowd's center and narrowed his eyes, frowning. "And that smile… it wasn't Ember's traditional "After-Song Smile". Something's up."

"… I'm not sure if I should be impressed that you think you know her facial expressions that well or creeped out." Sam muttered. He turned towards her again, probably to defend himself in some way, but she turned away before he could so. It was just in time to as the band was starting with their next song; their interpretation of "Would It Matter?" by Skillet. "Just calm down and just enjoy the music."

_If I wasn't here tomorrow,_  
><em>Would anybody care?<em>  
><em>If my time was up, I'd wanna know,<em>  
><em>You were happy I was there;<em>  
><em>If I wasn't here tomorrow—<em>

_'The stress must've gotten to him. I hope he really does calm down; I don't know how I could deal with it if he caused a scene. I mean, really, this wouldn't be the place for something to happen... would it? No, everything is fine. Tucker is just being paranoid.'_ Sam thought. The black-haired girl's pupils began to glaze over. '_Nothing's wrong with the band. Everything is fine.'_

"Sam!"

Sam stumbled forwards when someone—Tucker?—touched her before something shocked her. She managed to regain her balance before she could fall and turned around towards Tucker to give him a piece of her mind. She became even angrier when she noticed that he had brought out _Data Crusher_ and felt ready to strangle him. Strangle him and get back to enjoying the music. The teenager stayed her hand, however, when she noticed the worried expression on her friend's face.

Why did he look worried?

_I know I'm a mess and I wanna be someone,_  
><em>Someone that I'd like better;<em>  
><em>I can never forget,<em>  
><em>So don't remind me of it forever...~<em>

Sam blinked. What had she been doing again? Automatically, she began turning towards the stage. Tucker stopped her, ignored how she began to struggle against his grip, muttered an apology she couldn't hear, and shocked her with _Data Crusher_ again. This time when Sam's eyes bugged out and she released a pained sound, the spell that had enveloped her broke and she slowly became aware of herself again.

"… What's going on, Tucker?" Sam asked. "What happened?"

Tucker sighed. "I told you something was wrong, Sam. Look."

Sam looked. It appeared like everything was normal, that everyone was fine and simply enjoying the concert, but that was only on the surface. All of the other people in the crowd looked to have been having a good time though they also had glazed expressions. The feeling that something was wrong was only amplified by the fact that the air seemed heavier, darker, than it had been only moments before.

_All the chances that have passed me by,_  
><em>Would it matter if I gave it one more try?<em>  
><em>Would it matter at all..~?<em>

Slowly, Sam's eyes turned to Remember Yesterday. She could vaguely remember Tucker saying something was wrong with them and how she had dismissed it. Now, though… Tucker had been right. How could she have been so stupid?! That feeling in the air was spiritual pressure bearing down upon them, trying to freeze them in place, so that they couldn't escape from whatever technique they were using to hypnotize the audience.

"They're Ghosts." Sam breathed.

Tucker looked disappointed. It had to hurt to find the person were idolizing wasn't actually who they portrayed themselves as. He didn't say anything for a moment and then sighed. "… Okay. What are we going to do about them?"

That was the question, wasn't it? Now that they had figured out that Remember Yesterday were Ghosts and that they're intentions weren't benign, what were they supposed to do? In all likelihood, they would end up fighting Remember Yesterday. And if each member of the band was as powerful as Skulker or Technus were, they would be in a great deal of trouble. They didn't have anyone to back them up if, most likely when, things went from bad to worse.

_'We should have asked Sidney to come with us.'_ Sam thought.

Sidney's presence would have made things so much easier. He could have used his invisibility to slip out of the crowd and cause a distraction. In the following chaos, they could have met back up with him and take on Remember Yesterday together. Still, that wasn't possible now. She and Tucker had feared that taking Sidney to the concert would be too much, as he was still learning about the modern era, and shock him more than he had been when they had introduced him to some of the technology they had available.

… Music had changed quite a bit from what Sidney had heard in the 1950s.

"If this ends up becoming a fight, we can't fight them here." Sam finally said. "We'll need to lure them way somehow…" She frowned, "I can't think of anything, though. Do you have any ideas?"

"… How big of a plant can you control?" Tucker asked.

Sam's eyes widened when she spotted the plant Tucker was looking at. "… I don't know if I can control something that big, Tucker." While she had been learning how to better control the powers that her own "transformation" gave her, she had focused on controlling relatively small plants. Small flowers, leaves, stems, petals, and small grass clippings. Could she even use her Spirit Ribbons to manipulate trees? "I'll try, but don't get your hopes up if it turns out it won't work."

"You can do it, Sam. I believe in you."

Sam wished she had his confidence in her own abilities. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. pulled the golden locket hidden underneath her t-shirt, and focused. Her spiritual energy spikes as vines suddenly erupted from the precious heirloom that began to quickly wrap themselves around her body. They formed into a crude, vine-based armor which, while looking a little silly, made her feel as if she was actually wearing metal armor.

Next, the black-haired girl closed her eyes and focused her spiritual energy. The next time she opened her eyes it was to find herself standing in the midst of a virtual sea of Spirit Ribbons. It disoriented her for a moment as she hadn't expected to see so much, but she shook her head and reminded herself that she needed to focus. It took her a couple of minutes to find the correct white, knotted ribbon that belonged to the tree which she then grabbed.

_'I need to learn how to do this faster.'_ Sam thought to herself before refocusing on the Spirit Ribbon.

Spirit Ribbons were merely visualizations of an organism's spiritual energy. The technique was useful in tracking individuals that weren't bothering to hide themselves and determining exactly what kind of spiritual being they were. Sam also saw them as the key to her ability to manipulate plants; she used them as an access point to the plant's soul. The Spirit Ribbon also served as a bridge between her own soul and the plant's soul that she used to send her spiritual energy and mental commands on.

As plants didn't have a real consciousness of their own, it was relatively easy to take control and make them do what she wanted them to do. It would have been completely different if she had tried doing this on something with a consciousness that could resist her, but she shied away from such thoughts. No matter how tempting it may be, she wasn't the type of person that could stomach controlling other animals or people and making them do her bidding. She felt bad enough that she was doing this to plants.

Sam shouldn't have worried about her ability to control the tree. Upon making contact with its soul, she found it quite similar to other plant souls. There was a notable difference in the amount of energy she would have to use to make it obey her, but that could be explained due to the difference in mass. And, really, she had been expecting that.

_'Loosen your roots. Now, use your roots and begin to lift yourself out of the ground.'_ Sam conveyed towards the plant's soul. The plant used the spiritual energy she was sending it to do exactly that; its roots untwined from the earth before using them to push itself out of the ground. Clumps of grass-covered dirt were uprooted as the tree ascended while a squirrel, sensing the strange movement, abandoned its perch. She ignored all of this and focused. _'Approach the wooden platform. Attack.' _

The plant obeyed. Having already been rooted into the ground behind the stage, it had taken only a few moments for it to close the remaining distance and attack. The tree did this by swinging its branches towards the stage in an attempt to crush Remember Yesterday. The slight protest of the wood as it shifted was all that warned the three Ghosts of the danger. The stage splintered as everything unfortunate to be on the stage was flattened by the force behind the tree's heavy branches. Only, Remember Yesterday hadn't been crushed.

Remember Yesterday had taken advantage of the warning they had been given to abandon their instruments and dodge the incoming branches. Then, when the tree's branches stretched themselves father and snapped at the Ghosts' ankles, the Ghosts begun their counterattack.

It was during that little skirmish that Sam and Tucker were able to learn about how strong Remember Yesterday was. Ember McLain seemed to be the biggest threat. While Zeke and Tomas could fight and seemed to have a few tricks up their sleeves, Ember was undoubtedly the strongest among them. It gave them a target as well as they noticed that, unlike Zeke and Tomas, Ember's powers seemed reliant on her guitar. If they were able to destroy that guitar, it would even the playing field and give them a better chance of success.

Still, while the tree had allowed them to learn about the band, it hadn't been able to draw them away. Remember Yesterday had destroyed it before Sam was able to get that far. Sam had wanted to use another plant to draw their attention, but Tucker had shook his head and told her that he had already thought of something. His idea?

Tucker used _Data Crusher_ to create a cloud of two-dimensional, digital numbers and hurled it at Remember Yesterday. It soared over the heads of the hypnotized crowd and slammed into the three Ghosts with enough force to send them flying a few feet backwards. Then, when Remember Yesterday got back onto their feet, he drew their attention by raising his voice and taunting them.

"Looks like you guys have hit the bottom of the charts!"

Sam found herself following after Tucker as Remember Yesterday began to pursue them. The crowd made it difficult since they were looking around in slight confusion, but they made it through. Tucker turned around right before they left the grounds by turning around and hurling around cloud at the pursuing trio's faces. He smiled when it hit Zeke in the face before paling as Tomas and Ember unleashed simultaneous bursts of ectoplasm/blue flame at his face.

"C'mon, Tuck!" Sam shouted as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away, "Move!"

Tucker fell into step behind her. For a while, they continued to run as far away from the park as they possibly could. Neither of them knew exactly how Remember Yesterday was hypnotizing people, but that wasn't their top concern right now. After they dealt with Remember Yesterday, they could go back to the park and see if the crowd was still there. It would be a pain to snap all of those people out of their hypnotized state, but they would do it if they had to.

"Fantôme Mash (Ghost Mash)!" Zeke shouted from behind.

Sam grabbed onto Tucker's arm again and pulled him out of the way. She wasn't fast enough to pull him completely out of the way of the barrage of sewing needles; wincing as the sharpened edge of one of the needles tore into the back of Tucker's shirt and grazed his skin. He grit his teeth from the pain, but refused to cry out. He gave her a small, cocky grin before his eyes widened in alarm. Quickly, he pulled _her_ out of the line of fire before raising a protective barrier with his _Data Crusher_. A pained hiss escaped his mouth from the movement though the black-haired girl was more concerned with the lightning that Tucker's barrier had protected her from.

"T-thanks. I owe you one." Sam murmured. She soon found her opportunity to return the favor when she spotted a dandelion. She grabbed hold of its Spirit Ribbon just as Ember's fire slammed into the barrier and caused it to shatter. '_Grow.' _

Throwing the dandelion towards the incoming flames, she then grabbed Tucker and bolted. The dandelion rapidly expanded behind them—becoming the size of a small car by the time that the flames crashed into it—before the jagged leaves attempted to envelop and smother the flames. It didn't work, but it gave the two humans enough time to put some distance between them and Remember Yesterday.

"Do you think you're going to be okay, Tuck?" Sam asked.

Tucker's smiled tightly. "Yeah. It hurt a lot, but I'll be okay." He was bleeding, but not enough for it to be a major concern. And, even if it was, there was no way he would say anything. He was not going to leave one of his friends fighting in a three-on-one fight when he was still able to do something. _'Danny must be rubbing off on me.'_ He thought before saying, "Let's just go."

It only took them a minute or so before they had reached their destination; the junkyard. It was risky to have chosen it as the place where they would confront Remember Yesterday, especially considering Tucker's injury, but they hadn't really had another choice. There weren't exactly a lot of places that could handle being subject to a Ghost Attack without sustaining a lot of property damage. And Tucker's uncle did own the place...

"You two dipsticks should have just kept on running." Ember said as she arrived on the scene with her bandmates. Pale fingers became coated within a thin, pale-green glow. She played a few keys before suddenly swinging the tip of the guitar in Sam and Tucker's direction as she hit a high note. "Je vois Feu (I see Fire)."

From the tip of Ember's guitar emerged an wide burst of blue flames. The heat of the flames was stifling, but that was all that Tucker and Sam felt from behind Tucker's _Program: Firewall._ Sam turned as she sensed something coming at them from behind to see another barrage of needles rushing at them. Unlike last time, however, this time she was prepared.

_'Grow. Thicken. Constrict.'_ Sam thought as she threw two dandelions towards Zeke's projectiles. Like before, the dandelions grew rapidly and served as a makeshift shield as the needles pierced into them. The tip of the needles could be seen from Sam's position before the jagged leaves wrapped around them. "You'll have to do—"

"Ballade de la foudre (Lightning Ballade)."

Sam and Tucker had forgotten about Tomas. The heavyset Ghost had waited to see how they would react to Ember and Zeke's attacks and then struck when they let their guard down. He had emerged from the ground in-between the two teenagers and directed the lightning generated by his technique at both of them. It worked as well as the Ghost expected; the two teenagers screamed from the pain before collapsing into unconscious, twitching heaps.

Tucker's _Program: Firewall_ fell apart as Tomas sunk back into the earth. The hungry flames that the rectangular barrier had been holding off surged through the cracks and rushed towards the unconscious duo with a vicious, eager anticipation. Only, instead of being able to reach the teenagers and burn them alive, the flames crashed into another barrier.

_'Is that _paper_?!'_

It _was_ paper. Or, to be more exact, hundreds of white paper sheets layered over one another in order to form into a dome around the two downed humans. Ember and Zeke weren't able to think on it that much as, in the next moment, hundreds of sheets of the white material burst from the earth underneath their feet. These sheets quickly coalesced together to form into thick, strong ropes that bound the two Ghosts' feet before lifting them up and slamming them back into the earth.

If the first blow hadn't disoriented them, then the following five certainly had. It was without much fanfare that the paper ropes hurled the two musicians to the ground for the sixth time. The two Ghosts weren't met with hard earth this time; they were met with a shifting sea of paper. The paper rushed upwards to meet them, but were pushed back by the fire that Ember unleashed towards it.

It was, however, only a momentary reprieve as more paper rose and evaded the flames as it ascended. Like a snake, the paper struck and "bit" into the limbs of the two Ghosts before dragging them downwards. The paper slammed their faces against the ground a couple of times. Then, as Ember and Zeke tried to recover, the paper surged forwards to cover and bind them.

"I have had _enough_!" Ember roared. A corona of flame blossomed around her body and burned the paper trying to consume her, reducing it to ash. More paper rose up in an attempt to smother her flames and bind her, but she burnt it before it got anywhere near her. Halfway into her counterattack, the paper stopped moving and fluttered to the ground. "Damnit! Those dipshits got away!"

XXXXXX

(Somewhere Nearby)

"That was interesting." Sung-Sun commented, "I didn't know that Humans could develop enough reiryoku to be able to achieve powers of their own." A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she tracked the flight of the ghost as he fled with the two Humans he had saved. "Why do you suppose that they are working together with the ghost?"

"It doesn't matter why they're working together. We should just take them down now while we have the chance. That Dexter guy did send us out to fight someone so that we could weaken these freaking seals." Apacci suggested, eager for a rematch against that paper-manipulating ghost.

Tier shook her head. "No, we will not engage them. From the information both we and Senor Dexter have been able to gather, the most likely person the Arrancar could be is "Danny Fenton". If we eliminate the people he considers his friends, it will make our task of convincing him to come with us all the more difficult." She raised a hand to prevent an outburst from Apacci. "We will, however, keep tabs on those three. It would be in our best interests to try and figure out how they gained their powers and how they got in contact with that ghost."

"What about those three?" Mila-Rose asked, gesturing towards the members of Remember Yesterday as they freed Tomas from his paper bindings. "If the feel of that reiatsu was anything to go by, what they were doing isn't anything good. Should we take _them_ out?"

XXXXXX

(Meanwhile)

Danny Fenton didn't know what to do.

When he and his family had left AmityPark, he hadn't thought that something might happen while they were away. His parents had temporarily shut the Ghost Portal down and, unless Skulker was sharing his personal portal technology, Ghosts couldn't get into AmityPark. He had allowed himself to believe that everything would be fine. That his family would have a good time at his parents' college reunion and his friends would have a great time at the Remember Yesterday concert. _If_ they were still allowed to go considering that they had been grounded.

Only, something had happened. A couple of somethings, actually. First, supposed government agents had shown up at his friends' homes and then questioned his friends about the recent Ghost Attacks. Sidney was then attacked while he was trying to study the Ghost Portal by an Arrancar. An Arrancar. Sidney had managed to subdue but managed to escape when a herd of ghost-bulls had rushed out of the "deactivated" portal.

In addition, Sam and Tucker had managed to stumble across the fact that the members of Remember Yesterday were Ghosts. They didn't to seem to have good intentions either as they had been using a makeshift concert to hypnotize everyone in attendance. Sam and Tucker had destroyed Remember Yesterday's stage and then lured them to the junkyard. And while they had managed to hold Remember Yesterday off for a while, it hadn't been enough and they had been taken down.

_"I doubt that your friends were harmed too much. From what they told us, they were only knocked unconscious." _Leviatán deliberately didn't mention how tired Tucker had sounded. It would only cause Danny to worry more than he already was. _"If they are confronted by that group again, they will be prepared."_

That was the thing. Danny knew that his friends were strong, but he was worried about them. What if something happened to them? They could probably take on Remember Yesterday if they had to, but what if Remember Yesterday and that group of Arrancar attacked them at the same time?

_"Would you calm down? I thought that you believed your friends were strong. Will you always doubt them whenever they encounter a difficult situation and you aren't around? Have you so little faith in their capabilities?"_ Leviatán asked. _"Even if you aren't there to support them, your friends have proven themselves. Did they not storm Technus' base and defeat everything he threw at them and then fight Technus himself until they managed to free us?"_

How could he have forgotten. Not only had his friends supported and helped him in learning to control his powers, they had also been learning to control their own powers. They hadn't wanted to sit on the sidelines during situations where they didn't have any choice but to fight. While they couldn't use the abilities that he had, the natural advantages that his Arrancar form allowed him to have, they were catching up.

"I guess... I'm just scared that they'll get hurt." Danny admitted.

Every time something like this happened, he had been there. With his friends. Now, however, he was in a completely different state relying on text messages to know what was going on. He knew that his friends were becoming stronger, but he was afraid that they could get hurt.

_"It's okay to be afraid for them, but you shouldn't doubt them. The Arrancar that Sidney encountered might be strong, but that doesn't mean that it can't be defeated,"_ Leviatán gave Danny a mental nudge. _"Reassure yourself. Call them."_

Danny nodded and went to pick up his phone. Something caught his eye and he hesitated, turning to see a shadow underneath his doorway before it walked away. _'One of Mr. Master's maids...'_ Danny thought, but he was unconvinced. What if it hadn't been one of Mr. Master's servants?_ 'I guess I better see who it was... just in case. Pesquisa (Inquiry).'_

With his eyes closed, Danny sat as his reiryoku spread out from him. He "saw" a black-and-white version of his room as his reiryoku passed through it and then a similarly-colored version of the hallway beyond it. The only blob of color happened to be within what appeared to be one of Mr. Master's maids. Emerald.

"Why is there a Ghost here?"

_"You should follow her and try to see if you can figure that out."_ Leviatán suggested, _"But do it quietly. It wouldn't do if she saw you following her before you could figure out what she was doing."_ Danny nodded and slipped his phone into his pocket before leaving the room. _"Also, be sure to act normally. Even if she does see you, you could brush it off and say that you were looking for somewhere—the library, the kitchen, the theatre—and got lost."_

Danny nodded before suppressing his power as much as he could before he got up and followed the maid into the hallway.

* * *

><p><span>Techniques<span>:

1. Je vois Feu (I see Fire): Using the flame symbol on her guitar, Ember McLain will first play a few notes before unleashing a thick stream of blue flames towards her target(s).

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Author's Note: **We are so, so sorry that we haven't been able to update this story in a while. Its just been really busy—college, health issues, conflicting schedules, and the loss of one of my family members—so I hope that this will show that we aren't dead. Just very busy.


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